Broken rose
by bilboswaggins2
Summary: As the princess of Camelot, Lyanna Pendragon never expected her life to change when a sudden warlock arrives into town. The truth about her destiny comes to light and she most do whatever she can to make her brother become the Once and Future King, but there are a few heavy bumps along the road. Perhaps a certain manservant is able to share the burden with her [follows the series]
1. The Dragon's Call

**Hello, I'm back. I've posted a Merlinxoc story last year but had deleted it again because I thought it wasn't good enough. So I rewrote it completely so it's barely recognizable again. Oh I want to say that every chapter is one episode :) **

**This story follows the storyline of the tv show with Lynna written into it. I hope people like this version better. **

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter one: The Dragon's Call**

Lyanna Pendragon's slightly curled hair bounced with each step and the fallen leaves crunched underneath her leather booths. Her pale skin was still slightly flushed from her activities that day. This morning she had attended a boring council about something which didn't interest her much. As soon as the council was excused she had fled into the woods with her hunting gear to spend some time on her own.

Fresh deer tracks were visible in the muddy ground and Lyanna followed the trail between the trees. The autumn wind put a chill into her skin, but it was easy to ignore. She had sneaked off to the woods so many times that things like this didn't bother her any more.

Within minutes she had tracked down the doe which was grazing peacefully on some grass. Lyanna drew back her arrow and aimed at the deer, drawing in a deep breath. She released an arrow at the same moment that a young man from around her age stormed into the clearing and scared the deer away. The arrow landed in the tree just above his head. He wore a blue tunic, a brown jacket and a red neckerchief. He had raven colored hair that hung just above his eyes, which looked alarmed once he caught side of her.

"What were you thinking? I could've shot you," Lyanna blurted out kind of outraged. Her big hazel eyes looked directly at him and he dared to meet her gaze.

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't see you and I wasn't aware that you were hunting here, Miss. You must believe that it wasn't my intention to ruin your hunt. Please, tell me how I can make it up to you?" he rambled.

Lyanna assumed that her bow was making him rather anxious because she was still aiming it at him so she lowered it when she noticed that he was carrying a backpack. "The woods are filled with deer. There is no need for an apology. You're not from here, are you? People rarely wander in the woods on their own."

He shook with his head. "I'm on my way to Camelot, Miss. But I'm afraid that I may've lost my way," he responded.

She slung her bow over her shoulder. "No, you're closer to Camelot than you think. You can come with me if you want to because I'm going there myself," she offered. "It's not that far from here."

"Yes, I would appreciate that, Miss," he answered and began to trail after her. "I'm Merlin by the way. May I ask for your name?"

"You may. My name is Lyanna," she replied with a faint smile. Her name didn't ring a bell to him which meant that he wasn't aware of who she truly was, and Lyanna thought that it was for the better. "And what is a stranger doing so far away from his home towards Camelot?"

He smiled. "What gave it away? I come from a small town called Ealdor which is in Cendred's kingdom. My mother has arranged for me to meet the court physician here so I can become his ward and help him out," he explained to her.

She looked up at him. "I wasn't aware that Gaius was in need of an apprentice. He had made no mention of it the last I've seen him. I'm sure that it must've slipped his mind. He's quite a busy man."

They said no more and walked through the gate of Camelot in silence and both looked astonished when they saw that a crowd had gathered in the courtyard. A man was being dragged forwards by two guards and Lyanna remembered the execution of the sorcerer that had been scheduled for today.

She and Merlin made their way to the crowd until they got a better view. At that moment her father, the King of Camelot began to talk from the balcony where he stood with her brother. "Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I can pride myself a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."

Uther raised his arm and then lowered it again as signal to the executioners. Lyanna hid her head behind Merlin's shoulder. During her life here she had seen many people losing their head but it was something she never had gotten used to. Especially because she believed that these people were sentenced to death while they were innocent. She didn't believe that people with magic were bad.

Once Thomas Collins is beheaded the crowd gasped and then a silence falls. "When I came to this land, this kingdom was mirred in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebration begin," Uther said to the people.

Everyone was about to return to their everyday activities when the wailing of a woman disturbed them. They all turned around to the old woman who was in tears. "There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son," she threatened.

Lyanna felt her body grown cold as she realized that this woman was talking about killing Arthur. Her brother. She understood the woman's rage, but she had no right to harm Arthur.

"Seize her!" Uther ordered.

Guards ran towards her to capture her, but the woman quickly casted a spell. She disappeared into a whirl of wind and smoke. Once the courtyard was slowly emptying again Lyanna came back to her senses and turned to Merlin who hadn't said a word through the whole ordeal. He was just as stunned as she was.

"Right. You can find Gaius if you enter the castle and go left. His chamber is on the top of a small steps," she directed him. Without giving him any time to reply Lyanna hurried into the castle but went into the opposite direction. She practically ran through the corridors and the servants all stepped aside as she ran past them. Everyone here in Camelot knew Lyanna better as the whirlwind because she was always running through the halls, almost knocking down people as she went. When Lyanna was about to enter her chamber she heard her brother calling her name. She turned her head and saw him walking towards her.

"Please don't tell me that you weren't hunting again by yourself?" he asked as he noticed the traveling gear that she was wearing and the bow that was still slung across her shoulder. "I thought I had told you last time to take some knights with you. If father finds out that –"

"Arthur, calm down. I'm perfectly fine to look after myself. I don't need knights to escort me. They will only scare the pray away," she responded. They have had this discussion countless times before, but Arthur always worried about his sister's wellbeing. But he was well aware that she was far too stubborn about this matter so he let it rest.

"Well, just ask me to tag along with you the next time you decide running of. I would like to spend some time with just the two of us," he said to her and ruffled through her golden hair. Lyanna grinned. For many long years the two of them had often sneaked out whenever they wanted some time for themselves.

"Only if you will allow me to train with you and the knights tomorrow. I could use the practice. I believe I'm becoming rather stiff. That's not a good sign for a nineteen year old, is it?" she asked playfully.

Arthur laughed. "No, I don't think it is. Of course you're welcome to train along with us. The knights could use a good opponent who's not afraid to fight back." He thought back of the last time that Lyanna had trained with them and she had broken Ser Owin's arm. She may be a timid young woman, but she was strong and very tactic with weapons.

"Good that we've settled that then. If you'll excuse me I need to talk to Morgana. I'm sure she's quite overwhelmed by today's event," she said. Arthur wishes her good luck and placed a chaste kiss to her cheek before he strode away. When he was out of sight Lyanna opened the door of the king's ward and found her standing in front of the window. Today's events had surely shaken her. "Are you alright?"

At the sound of her voice Morgana looked away from the window and smiled faintly, trying to look brave. But her façade wasn't working on Lyanna, who saw her as her own sister.

"I just can't understand that your father finds a reason to celebrate by chopping an innocent man's head off?" Morgana said. It also bothered her that Uther had been killing people for years who possessed magic, only because he feared it. It was wrong that so many people had to perish because of that.

Lyanna pulled her friend into her arms in the hope to reassure her. She too struggled with these thoughts, but knew that there was nothing that she could do to change it. "Me too. What he's doing is wrong. We can only hope that my father's view on magic changes someday," she told her. This was always whatever she told to herself whenever her father got enraged when magic was involved. It kept her hope strong, but sometimes a small voice in her head whispered, _what if he doesn't change? What if he stays like this? _Whenever she thought that she thought that things could only change when her brother was crowned king, but that could be years away. Whatever would happen the situation was complicated.

Morgana pulled away and now noticed what she was wearing. She knitted her eyebrows together. "Did you walk through the castle looking like that?" she almost shrieked. For years now Morgana had made it her job to make sure that Lyanna looked at her absolute best and made her wear the most prettiest dresses. The princess herself only paid little attention to her looks.

Lyanna briefly looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Her travel clothes were covered in mud splatters and twigs had gotten intertwined in her hair. She only shrugged because it didn't bother her very much.

"You sure are one of a kind," Morgana laughed and hooked her arm through that of her friend. "Let's go to the market." They left the room and were quickly followed by Morgana's maid Gwen. The three of them had been good friends for years and often spent time together.

That night Lyanna ate dinner with Morgana and her family and returned to her own chamber afterwards where she read a book from the library until she fell asleep. The next morning she awoke by the first rays of sunshine that entered her chamber. Her maid Marie had prepared a hot bath for her. Lyanna sat in the hot water for a while and quietly sang an old song while she washed herself.

Nearly an hour had past until Marie reentered her room. "Have you been in there for so long, My Lady? Your entire skin is wrinkled and the bathwater has gone cold," she said and handed Lyanna a towel.

"I just like taking baths. They're very soothing," Lyanna responded dreamily. "Can you get my armour? I'm supposed to be training with Arthur shortly after this."

Marie quickly fetched her armour and helped Lyanna with putting it on. Her servant was only a year older than she was, but had been her servant for about seven years now. Lyanna trusted Marie, who she always saw as a good friend of hers.

"My Lady, I hope you have not forgotten that Lady Helen will be arriving tonight," Marie reminded her while Lyanna picked up her sword and put it into her scabbard.

"I have not forgotten. Morgana will worry about my outfit tonight," she told her. "I have no need for your service anymore today. Why don't you take the day off? When was the last time that you've gotten some time for yourself?" Marie tried to argue with her, but Lyanna wouldn't have it. "No, I will not accept a no for an answer. You need to go home and relax for once. Please. I command you."

Marie gave in when Lyanna smiled tenderly at her. "Alright, I will do as you wish, My Lady. But call for me whenever you do need me. If not, I will be back in the morrow." Her servant quickly hugged Lyanna before she left.

When Lyanna got all her equipment she left her room herself and hurried towards the training ground, hearing the servants mutter as she ran past them. The knights were already gathered and didn't look surprised when they saw that the princess would be joining them. They had all trained with her countless times. Lyanna helped the knights with putting all the training gear ready when Arthur arrived at the time everything was put to place. The princess noticed the amusing glee in her brother's eyes when he caught sight of her.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad that you could make it, dear sister. I'll team you up with Ser Leon today," he told her before turning to the other knights to give them instructions. Lyanna laughed at the blonde knight. Whenever she trained with them she was always teamed up with Ser Leon, but she always enjoyed it. He was a good dueling partner. From all the knights that Camelot had she surely felt the closest with him.

Arthur demonstrated them some moves and it was up to them to copy them. This went on for nearly a half an hour until Arthur announced that it was time for some duels. In her life Lyanna had fought many friendly duels with Leon, and she never got tired of it.

"I'll go easy on you, Milady," Leon assured her with a playful smirk.

Lyanna scoffed. "As if I need gentleness, Ser."

He only laughed while Arthur gave them the order for the fight to begin. Leon immediately came swinging at her with his blade, but Lyanna easily averted his blows because she was rather fast. Their swords clashed several times.

"You're ready to give up?" Lyanna teased.

Leon said nothing, but she could hear her brother laughing with his knights. Everyone in Camelot was aware of how skilled the princess was with a sword, and most of them feared to face her in a battle. Some of them even named her the dragon of Camelot, because she could be rather deadly. She wasn't someone to be trifled with.

Their fight draws on and Lyanna managed to knock Leon on the ground. Her sword is pressed against the knight's chin. "Do you yield, Ser?" she asked him in a friendly manner. He sighed and nodded which only encouraged her to smirk while she helped him back onto his feet. "You gave a good fight."

"So did you," he responded, sounding rather impressed.

She laughed and noticed that Merlin was standing just out of the training ground and had seen her friendly duel with Ser Leon. When Arthur began to order his servant Morris around Lyanna walked over to the newcomer to Camelot.

"How is Camelot treating you so far?" she wondered when she stood before him. She noticed that he still hadn't figured out who she truly was, which she thought was quite a relief. A part of her wondered if he would treat her different if he did know the truth.

He smiled at her. "Alright, I guess. Gaius is a very kind man and I'm helping him by delivering some medicines to some of his patients."

"Ah yes. I'm aware that Gaius has many patients here. It must be a relief for him to have someone to assist him," she assumed.

Their conversation paused when they saw that Arthur had begun to bully his servant Morris, who was carrying a shield on his back. "There, Sir?" Morris asked him.

"It's into the sun?" Arthur said.

"But, it's not that bright," Morris objected.

"A bit like you, then?" the prince responded. He and his knights began to laugh. Lyanna sighed tiresome. Whenever Arthur was surrounded with his knights he was always showing off, and most of the time his servant was the victim. The only knight that wasn't contributing was Ser Leon, who had already left

Both Merlin and Lyanna watch the situation between Arthur and Morris. Arthur began with throwing knives while Morris ran around because he had become a running target. Morris dropped the target and it rolled down to Merlin's feet who quickly put his foot on it.

"Hey, come on, that's enough," he said. Arthur looked to him in bewilderment. "You've had your fun, my friend."

Arthur walked over towards them. "Lyanna, do you know him?" he wanted to know.

"Yes, we've met each other yesterday. His name is Merlin and he is new to Camelot," she explained and crossed her arms. She didn't like where this conversation was going. By the way that her brother was looking at the newcomer told her that he wasn't going to let it rest. Merlin held out his hand for him.

"So I don't know him?" Merlin shook his head. "Yet, you called me friend."

Lyanna became rather tensed to see the two of them bickering. It was perfectly clear to her that Merlin was unaware who Arthur was and just thought he was a knight that loved to show off and bullied innocent servants.

"That was my mistake," Merlin muttered in return. "I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass." He looked at Lyanna and they both thought that it was for the best to walk away. She feared what Arthur might do if this conversation went any further.

Arthur only snorted at that. "Or I one who could be so stupid." She and Merlin stopped walking again and turned to him again. "Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?" Merlin muttered a no. "Would you like me to help you?"

"I wouldn't if I were you," Merlin almost threatened.

But Arthur chuckled, not impressed. Lyanna understood why. Merlin was quite slim, and had no muscles. He wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with the prince. "Guys, this is enough," she interfered, growing tired of this argument. "Let's both walk away before something happens which we're going to regret. There is no need for this."

Only her words were ignored completely. "Why? What are you going to do to me?" Arthur wanted to know. Lyanna sighed annoyed. This wasn't going to work.

"You have no idea," Merlin responded mysteriously as if he was capable of something incredible.

"Be my guest!" Arthur began to taunt him until he would break. "Come on! Come on! Come ooooon!"

That was enough for Merlin to take a swing at him, but Arthur easily twisted Merlin's arm behind his back. The knights gasped and Lyanna covered her mouth behind her hands. The last thing she had expected was that Merlin would honestly begin to fight.

"I'll have you thrown in jail for that," Arthur told him.

"What, who do you think you are? The King?" Merlin mocked with disbelieve.

"No, I'm his son, Arthur. And this is my sister Lyanna." With that the knights began to take Merlin out of here.

"Arthur, stop this nonsense! He didn't do any harm!" she pleaded for Merlin. "He only stood up to you because you were behaving like a prat." But once again her words were ignored and she watched as the knights dragged Merlin towards the cells. She growled under her breath and stormed off. She would arrange an early release later today, but even then Merlin wouldn't be released before tomorrow morning. She just couldn't believe her brother was acting like such a fool.

Lyanna returned to Morgana's chamber where the King's ward and Gwen did her hair and made her wear an expensive dress. They both noticed how tensed the princess was, but they didn't ask her about it. The rest of the day went by silently without any events.

That evening everyone was gathered in the throne room to await the arrival of Lady Helen. Morgana and Gwen had made sure that Lyanna was looking well tonight and had stuffed her in an expensive dress. Arthur was standing alongside his sister who shot a few angry glances his way.

"I cannot believe you've thrown Merlin into jail," she almost whispered so the rest wouldn't hear their conversation. "You were behaving like an idiot this morning and someone had to stand up to you."

"He insulted me in front of my knights," was all that Arthur had to say about it and their conversation ended. Lyanna growled under her breath, but at that time Lady Helen entered the throne room.

"Lady Helen," Uther greeted their guest. "Thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations."

During her years here Lyanna had the pleasure of hearing Lady Helen sing four times and the woman's voice was truly enchanting. Every time she came to Camelot it was for a celebration.

"The pleasure's all mine," Lady Helen replied.

"How was your journey?" Uther asked politely. He had always been very fond of the singer and had even asked her to stay her permanently as Camelot's finest singer, but she had refused his offer. She was a woman that couldn't stay at one place.

Helen sighed. "Oh, the time it took, Sire." She now turned to his children. "You've sure grown since last I've seen you, Milady," she said to Lyanna.

"Thank you, Lady Helen. I sure am excited to hear you perform again," she replied honestly. She then turned to Arthur again for a brief moment before Uther escorted her away.

After those events Lyanna returned to her chambers where she read a book that Gaius had given her a few days prior until she fell asleep. The next morning she was awoken around dawn when she felt Marie shaking her shoulders. "Milady, it is time to wake up." Marie helped her into a green dress and did her hair. When Lyanna had eaten a simple breakfast she made her way towards the physician chambers to return the book that she had borrowed.

She opened the door and found Gaius sitting at the table, studying one of his book. At the sound of her footsteps he looked up at smiled warmly at the princess that walked over to him. "Have you finished it already, My Lady?"

"I have indeed. I have to say that it was very interesting," she replied and placed the book back on the pile beside him. "I also wanted to inform you that your ward has been thrown into jail yesterday because he had stood up against my brother. I've already arranged for him to be released today, but there was one downside."

Gaius knew what she meant and laughed softly. "Oh, for crying out loud. That boy cannot even stay out of trouble. Would you mind coming along with me, Milady?"

"Not at all," she retorted. Together the two of them walked out of the physician chambers and made their way towards the cells. Lyanna ordered the guards to open the cells so Merlin could be released, but Gaius quickly entered the cells.

The old man sighed. "You never cease to amaze me! The one thing that someone like you should do is keep your head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot," he said to his new ward.

"I'm sorry," Merlin apologized sincerely.

"You're lucky. Princess Lyanna managed to pull a few strings to get you released."

Merlin's face lightened up like the sun and he looked at Lyanna who entered the cell as well. "Oh, thank! Thank you!" he exclaimed happily. For a moment Lyanna feared that he might pull her into his arms and twirled her around, but he didn't. Gaius only gave him a disapproving look for being so excited. "I won't forget this, Milady."

"I'm glad I could help. When Arthur ordered for his knights to drag you away I got angry with him. My brother isn't one of the easiest people to be around with. He's a royal prat who loves to show off with his knights. That's why I had to let you out. There is only a small price to pay."

The princess watched how he gave her a confusing look before she followed the physician out of the cells, holding back her laughter. Two guards dragged Merlin out of the cells and out of the castle. They made their way to the lower town where they placed Merlin into the stocks. It was a beautiful day and it didn't take long before children had gathered to throw some vegetables and rotten fruit towards Merlin. This was the only way that she could've freed him from his cell, with a small price to pay.

While she stood beside Gaius, who was laughing heartily while his ward was being hit by tomatoes, she couldn't help but laugh herself. A part of her felt sorry for him having to experience this, and she was already planning to shorten his time in the stocks.

By the time the children ran out of fruit the throw Lyanna sat down with a couple of them. She told them an old story of the kingdom of Albion, and the children were hanging on her every word. When her story had ended the children left to find some more fruit to throw. Lyanna patted the dirt of the skirt of her dress before she turned to see Merlin still standing in the stocks with Gwen beside him. She noticed the tension that hung between them as the two of them talked, and she could tell that there was already something between them.

When she stood beside them she heard Gwen say, "Merlin told me that he met you in the woods two days ago when you were hunting and that you nearly shot him. Is that correct, My Lady?"

She nodded. "It is true indeed. He scared the deer away at the moment I released an arrow. It almost hit him in the head," she admitted truthfully.

Gwen smiled nervously. "If you'll excuse me I've got to help Morgana. Will you come as well, Milady?" the maid asked her.

"I'll come later," she told her. Gwen waved them goodbye before walking away. "You sure leave quite an impression on people that meet you, Merlin. My brother throws you into jail and Gwen here seems to be quite smitten about you."

Merlin laughed at that in the best way that he could with his head stuck in the stocks. "And what kind of an impression have I left on you, My Lady?"

"Hmm. I haven't figured that out yet. But I believe that there is something special about you. I just can't place it yet," she replied a bit puzzled.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were a princess when we met?" he wondered.

Lyanna shrugged. "I wanted to be treated like a normal person just once and it was nice. And –" She stopped in the middle of her sentence when the children returned with more baskets filled with rotten fruit. "I believe your fans are waiting."

He laughed while the children began to pelt him. The children all had glee in their eyes from enjoyment, and even Merlin didn't seem to mind that he was smeared in rotten fruit.

After several minutes Lyanna held up her hand for the children to stop and they all hastily ran away. She ordered the guards to free Merlin from the stocks and waited until they had done so. "Normally whenever someone crosses the line they have to be in the stocks for an entire morning, but I thought you had enough for now. Just try to stay away from my brother. I've got to go now. Perhaps I'll see you another time."

"Thanks for everything that you've done for me, My Lady," he said gratefully.

"Lyanna," she corrected him placidly. "Please, call me Lyanna." With that she turned around and headed back towards the castle.

Together with Morgana, Gwen and Marie she had spent the entire afternoon trying out dresses which were specially made for the upcoming feast. With every dress that she tried Lyanna's headache grew. By the time dinner had also ended she couldn't help but feel relieved that today's activities had ended.

It was early the following morning when she was once again sitting in Morgana's chambers. She was seated on a chair near the window, fluttering through a book that she had found on the table.

When Merlin entered the room Morgana tied her hair together and stepped behind the chamber fold. "You know, I've been thinking about Arthur. I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole. Pass me that dress, will you Lyanna?"

Before Lyanna was able to stand up Merlin looked around him uncomfortably before he fetched the dress while Morgana began to undress. It only took mere seconds for the princess to realize that Merlin wasn't aware of her presence, and was pretending to be her. Of course she could reveal herself, but that meant ruining the joke and she could use some laughter.

"I mean the man's a total jouster. And just because I'm the King's ward, that doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast, does it?" Morgana continued. Merlin placed the gown on the screen. "Well, does it?"

"Uhm-mm," he said with a high pitched voice while he shook his head, a failed attempt of Lyanna's. The princess had to do her absolute best not to give up her cover, not wanting to make the situation even worse. Holding back her laughter was quite difficult.

"If your brother wants me to go, then he should invite me, and he hasn't," Morgana continued. Merlin tried to figure a way out of the situation, pacing through the chamber. "So, do you know what that means?"

He made an "Hm-mm" sound, going along with the situation. Lyanna wondered how foolish Morgana was for not realizing that something was happening.

"Where are you?" Morgana asked, looking over the top of the screen.

Merlin immediately held up one of her cloaks to hide his face. "Here" he answered with the same high voice, causing Lyanna to hide her own face to stop her laughter. Merlin peeked through the neck of the cloak.

"It means I'm going by myself," the King's ward stated. He started to put the cloak down, heading towards the door. "I need some help with this fastening." Panic rushed through him, while he has no idea how to solve this. "Where are you, Lee?"

"I'm here," Lyanna said, standing up. Merlin's eyes widen as he turned to look at her. She grinned with mischief while she motioned towards the door. He gave her a nervous smile before he hurried out of the chambers while Lyanna started to help Morgana.

"So, it's whether I wear this little tease," Morgana said once she was done, and made her way back towards her vanity in a new dress, carrying another gown in her hands. She looked at the dress in the mirror, and then held up a maroon colored gown. "… or give them a night they'll really remember."

"I think you should give them a night they will never forget," Lyanna said with a chuckle.

When she was ready with assisting her friend she made her way back to her own chambers where she looked through her closet in the hope to find a dress that she could wear for tonight's feast. After a moment she found one. It was light green in color, with darker green flowers stitched onto it. It was sleeveless, with a high neckline.

Just when Lyanna was about to put on the dress Marie entered her chambers. "That dress is beautiful," she gasped, taking in the dress. "Is this a new one, Milady?"

Lyanna shook with her head. "No. Actually it was collecting dust in my closet. I'll think I'm going to wear this one and save the ones that Morgana has arranged for another occasion."

Marie gestured Lyanna to sit before the mirror so that she could do her hair properly. "You're going to look breathtaking. Like you always do, Milady. I'm positive that you're going to steal someone's heart tonight."

After that she made her eyes smokey green, and tint her lips into flaming red, she placed a silver circlet on top of her braided hair. While she looked at her own reflection in the mirror there came a knock on the door. "Enter," Lyanna said, absentmindedly.

Arthur entered the chambers, dressed decently for tonight's feast. He wore a brown jacket, and a red cloak of Camelot. "You look stunning," he complimented while he looked at her. "Just like you always do. Don't you agree, Marie?"

"I do, My Lord," Marie quickly answered, once she finished adjusting her hair. "She looks beautiful."

"You two are far too kind," Lyanna thanked them. "Did you come here for a reason, Arthur?"

He nodded. "I did. I have the pleasure of escorting my lovely sister to the feast."

Lyanna couldn't help but roll with her eyes before she hooked her arm through that of her brother. She had always praised the bond between the two of them. Even though she could sometime be angry at him, she loved him with all her heart.

Together the twins made their way towards the banquet hall where the room was already filled with many guests, which existed of noble families, knights and other important people. Music was being played were waiting to dance, while others were gathered nearby the tables which were filled with all sorts of food. Lyanna nodded in greeting as she walked past the people, until they stopped in middle of the dance floor.

Lyanna was dancing the first dance of the evening with Arthur, and the two siblings swirled gracefully through the room. During her lifetime the princess had been present at more balls than she could remember, and she had figured out dancing easily. It was the nicest way to spend the evening, and talking with people.

"I heard that you got into a fight with Merlin today," Lyanna said, breaking the silence between them. Marie had told her all about her brother's encounter with Merlin and that they gotten into a fight in the lower town.

Arthur frowned and pressed his lips forwards, clearly not liking the subject she had picked out. There were so many better things to talk about instead of a boy that was working against him for two days now. "He wasn't much of a challenge. I won easily and –"

"That's not what everybody else is saying, Arthur," Lyanna interrupted him with a smirk plastered on her lips. She was simply enjoying this too much. "They said that he made it rather difficult for you, and that he even managed to steal your mace. Did he really knock you onto the ground? You're seriously getting slower…"

"That is so not true!" he protested heavily and maybe a bit too loud because a couple of people were now looking at them to see what was going on. Arthur wanted to defend his honor even more, but when he noticed the twinkle in her eyes he burst into sweet laughter as he twirled her around elegantly. "You are such a tease, Lyanna."

She knew that it would only be a waste of breath to continue taunting him, so she decided not to say anything when the music stopped and the song had ended. She applauded to thank the band that was playing before she made her way over to Morgana who had just entered the room wearing the sleeveless red gown.

"You look breathtaking," Lyanna said to her before she briefly wrapped her arms around her friend's neck. "Did you notice how everyone was looking at you when you just entered the room? I believe that my brother had to wipe his mouth to look decent again."

Her friend didn't have time to come up with a respond because Arthur was already standing before her so that he could talk to her himself. She wondered why the two of them wouldn't just admit their feelings for one another. It would make everything so much easier.

Lyanna decided to give the two of them some privacy so that they could talk. Her eyes lingered through the room, so she wasn't paying attention when she bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she hastily apologized onto to realize who it was. "Merlin! Oh dear, I had no idea. I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

He was smiling warmly to her. "I didn't see you as well, My Lady. I was looking around me –"

"Please call me Lyanna. Oh right. This is your first time at a ball is it not?"

Merlin nodded understandingly. "It is. I have to say that it leaves quite an impression on me. For example you look stunning tonight."

Her cheeks flushed crimson at his words. Never before had a compliment made such an impression on her. She noticed by the color of his cheeks that he felt the same.

"Thank you, Merlin," Lyanna said gratefully as her lips curled upwards. "You're behaving like a true gentleman. Do you care to dance?" As soon as the words her left her lips she realized what she had said. A princess dancing with a peasant. It sure sounded like a bad joke, yet she didn't seem to see the problem in it. The feast hadn't started, and her father was yet to show up. It would be fine.

He looked astonished at her sudden question. "I ehm – don't know if that's wisely. I'm here to work tonight with Gaius, and I'm not a guest… I can't even dance and -"

Completely surprised by her own actions Lyanna grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him with her through the crowd and towards the dance floor. "I wasn't going to take no for an answer. It's easy. I'm going to teach you. Just follow my feet."

There wasn't any time for Merlin to protest. The thoughts were pushed out of his head as she took his left hand in her right and his other round her waist. Her left hand came to rest on his shoulder and he felt warmth spread from her touch.

Lyanna took a step back with her right foot and Merlin responded nervously by taking one forward with his left. Then she took a step to her right and closed her left foot which he also followed.

"I told you that it would be easy," Lyanna said proudly with a smile.

They set off slowly round the room. Lyanna watched the look of concentration of his face fondly. She could tell that he was really trying his had almost made it round the banquet room when Lyanna took her hand off his shoulder. She grabbed Merlin's chin and pulled his head up so that instead of looking at his feet he was looking into her face.

"You're missing out all the fun if you continue to stare at your feet. My face is up here," she instructed with a smirk. "Besides I'm not that short."

"I'm sorry, Lyanna. It's just that it's my first time dancing," Merlin apologized sounding rather sad. For some reason she didn't like it when he was looking like that. She was already seeing the newcomer as a friend, even though her brother couldn't stand him.

"There's no need to worry," she assured him. "You're doing great."

Merlin managed a couple of steps like this, his face still wrinkled in concentration. Sadly enough the song ended sooner than they two of them wanted it to end. He slowly let go off her while his bright blue eyes remained transfixed on her hazel ones. They kept looking at each other while they thanked the band for the music, and curtsied at each other.

"Thank you," she said gratefully with small curtsy. "You did amazing."

"Well I had a wonderful teacher," he told her which only made her smile proudly.

Before she could say anything her father entered the room. "I'm sorry, Merlin, but I need to be sitting at the table now."

She picked up the skirt of her green dress and hurried through the crowd towards her seat beside Morgana and the King, who was holding a speech for the people, and quickly sat down before someone had noticed her absence.

"We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself, many pleasures. But few can compare, with the honor of introducing: Lady Helen!"

Everyone started to clap as Lady Helen entered the room and took place on top of a small stage, so that everyone could see her. The music started playing and a beautiful singing voice filled the room. Lyanna could only smile with the delight because she was hearing the woman sing again.

After a couple of seconds listening to the song Lyanna felt herself getting more tired, and she was fighting to keep her eyes open. She saw how everyone was falling asleep around and she quickly covered her ears only to see Merlin doing to the same, wondering why they were the only ones that were awake.

The rhythm of the song changed and cobwebs started to appear on the people, making it look as if they have been asleep for many long years. Lady Helen's attention was focused on Arthur as she kept continue singing. Lyanna was too perplexed to do something when Lady Helen fished a dagger out of her sleeve and got closer to Arthur. If she didn't act now he would get killed!

Before Lyanna could come up with something she saw Merlin's eyes flash into gold, and the chandelier fell down from the ceiling and fall onto Lady Helen. Silence filled the room as everyone slowly rose from their sleeps, and wiped away the cobwebs.

They were now staring at the woman that was lying underneath the chandelier. It was the woman that had threatened her father a few days ago when he had executed her son. _Soon you will share my tears, Uther Pendragon. _This was her plan all along. To kill Arthur so that they had both lost their son.

The woman was able to pick up the dagger and threw it at Arthur who was standing before his chair now. Suddenly the time was slowed down and Lyanna saw how Merlin jumped towards Arthur to push him onto the ground, so that the dagger planted itself into his chair. Everyone was holding their breaths as the woman gave one last grasp of breath before her head hit the floor.

Lyanna hurried to her brother and Merlin who were both standing again, and wrapped her arms around Arthur. "Are you alright?" she asked concerned as she tried to see if he had any wounds.

"I'm fine, Lyanna," he assured with a weak voice, but did reassure her enough.

She turned around to face Merlin when she realized what he had done. _He had used magic to save Arthur's life. He was a sorcerer. _Lyanna knew it was for the best to make no mention of that and resisted the urge to pull him into an embrace. "You saved my brother's life, Merlin. A debt must be repaid."

Merlin seemed to disagree with her and shook his head. "Well don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded," Uther insisted, taking his daughter's side.

"No honestly you don't have to, your Highness and My Lady," Merlin continued being his humble self. Lyanna could see that he didn't like the credit, and that wasn't why he had done it. He had used magic, and she was only one who seemed to have noticed it.

"No absolutely," Uthur continued smiling at him. "This merits something quite special."

"Well..." Merlin tried stopping him again only to be completely ignored.

"You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

Lyanna had to hold in her laughter, and applauded with everyone else. This is certainly the last thing that he wanted since they both couldn't stand one another.

"Father," Arthur called to him, clearly not happy with this new change either. Lyanna wanted to talk to Merlin so that she could thank him for his actions, but was being pulled along with along with Arthur who stormed after their father out of the banquet room. The talking would have to wait for another time. Right now the feast would begin.

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**I would honestly appreciate it if you would take the time to write a review to let me know what you think about it**


	2. Valiant pt 1

**I'm glad to read that people are liking it so far :) also I've decided to split the Valiant episode into two ;) I'll post the second part of it soon. **

** waszka098: I had to use a translator to find out what you had written since I'm not Polish, but thank you :D  
**

**BlueGreen216: At first, thank you :) This story is indeed a slow love one haha. I hope you like this chapter as well **

**- x Milou Lilly**

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**Chapter two: Valiant**

Lyanna growled. The hot bathwater soothed her score muscles. This morning she had joined an early morning training session with the knights and had gotten into an intense duel with Ser Owen. She could see the bruises on her arm and her legs and sighed because she knew they would only become more score the next morning.

The strong lavender scented bathwater filled the air in the large bedroom, but it only calmed Lyanna down. Whenever she felt tensed she always chose to take a bath, because she always felt much better after one. Besides she loved being clean. It was one of her habits.

When her skin had become rather wrinkly she climbed out of the bathtub and dried herself off. By the time she had put on her undergarment the door of her room swung open and Marie entered the room. "Why didn't you just call for me when you were finished, Milady? You know I want to help you." It always felt as if her servant was scolding her, but it only made Lynna snicker. If Marie would've done this with the King she surely would've ended in the stocks. But Lyanna was nothing like her father.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting dressed by myself," she muttered in return. Lyanna always did as much by herself as she could, not wanting to bother people by asking them for help. Perhaps that meant that she didn't want to look weak. She couldn't tell.

Last night had brother had complained for hours about his new manservant and how much she disliked the idea. Arthur had eventually fallen asleep against her shoulder after calling Merlin a disaster for the twentieth time. Lyanna had retreated to her own chamber so that she could sleep for a couple of hours herself, but she woke up by the first sunrays that crept through the curtains. That's when she had decided that a good training would help her wake up.

Marie helped her into a soft green dress, with long V shaped sleeves and a silver belt. Her mother's golden necklace suited perfectly with it and really stood out against the colors. Marie was now busy with brushing the princess golden hair. "Yesterday's feast sure was lovely. I didn't mean that it was all lovely, with the whole attempt at your brother of course."

"I know what you meant, Marie. It was lovely indeed," Lyanna agreed with a smile as she thought back to the feast.

"I wasn't aware that you and Merlin were so close with each other since the two of you suddenly began to dance. I was so relieved that your father wasn't there to see it, because we all know the temper that the King has. I didn't want to think about what could happen if he saw you dancing with someone who wasn't noble."

Sadly enough, Marie was right. Uther did saw people of noble as people that stood above commoners and he never tried to hide his disapproval. He had often made it clear to her that he wanted his daughter to marry someone that he would approve of. "I had no idea what came over me," Lyanna admitted. "At first we were just talking and out of nowhere I had asked him to dance with me. I didn't even think twice about what others would be saying. It just happened. Luckily enough only a few people had seen it."

"Do you like Merlin then, Milady?" Marie suddenly asked causing Lyanna's jaw to fall open.

"No," Lyanna immediately protested, turning her head to face her servant who was busy braiding her hair. "I do not like Merlin like that. I don't even know him. We've only just met a few days past. He's a friend. That's all." _A friend. Was Merlin really a friend? _After all he had been lying to her about his magic. Did that mean that she could trust him? But she understood the reasons that he had. He could get killed if anyone here found out the truth. "Did you notice the look on Arthur's face when Morgana entered the room yesterday? The two of them really like each other, even though they are both too stubborn to admit it."

Marie laughed quietly behind her. "I thought that I was the only one who had noticed that. I'm sure that it won't take them long before one of them has found the courage to be honest," she agreed with her. That was one of the best things about being friends with Marie. Even though she was a servant, the two of them basically shared the same opinion about everything. It made everything so much easier.

They both continued to talk like that for a little while until Marie was finished with doing Lyanna's hair. "There," she said proudly. "All done." Her hair was separated into three braids, and filled with small white flowers.

"It's beautiful," Lyanna gasped as she looked at her own reflection in the mirror. She always felt that she looked prettier whenever Marie, Morgana or Gwen had done her hair. For some reason they always knew what suited her well. "Thank you so much, Marie. What is on today's schedule?"

"Have you really forgotten about today? Your father is holding a tournament, and he suspects that you're in the crowd together with Lady Morgana," Marie helped her remember with an amusing smirk. Lyanna often forgot her activities, and she secretly enjoyed it because the princess could be quite muddled at moments.

Lyanna licked her lips. "I did forget about that. This means that I have to watch for days how man fight bravely in the tournament in which I'm not allowed to participate myself. I guess I have no other choice than to cheer for my brother." Of course she should've known about the tournament. Everyone had been talking about it for weeks.

"I'm afraid so," Marie agreed with a smile. "I saw him heading to the training ground with Merlin after you came back. The poor thing was all dressed in armour."

Lyanna smiled at the thought of Merlin in armour that was far too big for him. It must be a hilarious sight. "I think that I'm going to take a look to see how those two are doing, and make sure that they don't strangle one another. I will see you when the tournament starts."

The princess didn't gave her servant some time to come up with a respond as she grabbed a black cloak from a chair, and rushed out of her chamber, through the corridors of the castle. It was rather quiet in the castles besides the guards, and the servants that seemed to be in a rush this early. It was only a few hours after dawn.

It was already warm when Lyanna stepped outside, as her bare skin was being touched by the sunrays. There was a soft wind, but it was at all an agreeable day. It only took a couple of minutes until Lyanna reached the training ground where people were busy with preparing for the tournament. Within the blink of an eye she could spot her brother dressed in chainmail, while Merlin was trying to dress him properly.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Arthur suddenly called out with irritation hearable in his voice. Merlin looked around to see what he could've missed, but wasn't able to see it. "My _sword."_

As soon as Arthur had mentioned the name of the weapon he realized what he had forgotten, he quickly apologized and handed it to the prince who didn't look impressed at all and stormed off.

"That went well," Lyanna said causing Merlin to nearly jump out of his skin because he hadn't seen her approach.

"Oh, Lyanna. How long have you been standing there?" he asked in return. He looked kind of flushed.

"Long enough to see you forgetting to hand Arthur his sword," she responded with a smile. "Don't worry, Merlin. It's not easy to remember everything a knight needs in battle. It took me a long while to remember. You're doing fine. It's only your first day after all."

"Thanks. Is he always treating his servants like a sack of potatoes?"

Lyanna chuckled amusingly. "Unfortunately yes. He isn't very charming. I'm sure that Arthur will come around soon enough. He's just stressing out about the tournament. It's a great deal to him. He wants to prove the people what he's worth, and that he's truly the future King of Camelot."

Merlin nodded understandingly. "Well I hope that if he becomes King he's not behaving like a dollop-head," he muttered under his breath, causing Lyanna to burst into laughter.

"Let's hope for our sakes that he's not. He has a good heart. He's only having trouble with showing it," she replied, smiling. Their gazes met and Lyanna suddenly remembered what she had seen the other day. He was a sorcerer. A part of her wanted to confront him with what she had seen and to assure him that she wouldn't tell anyway, but she didn't want to scare him. It would be better if he wasn't aware that she knew the truth about it. "Anyway Merlin, I was wondering if it was possible I could come over tonight?"

The eyes of the warlock widened perplexed, but he smiled nonetheless. This was one those things that made Lyanna different than any woman he had ever met. She may be the most powerful woman in this kingdom and could do anything that she pleased, but she was still too down to earth that she would ask people is she could come over. He admired that about her. At one moment she's tough as nails, but that she is the most kindhearted person in all of Camelot.

"You know there is no need for you to ask permission to come over. You're the princess after all," he helped her remind. Lyanna only rolled with her eyes at that, which caused him to smirk in amusement. "I'm not sure if I'll be home tonight. Arthur may have lots of chores for me tonight. I cannot tell."

She smirked. "I'll look into that. Besides if Arthur makes it to the next round he won't have time to order you around tonight," she informed him. "Anyway I should get going now. Right now you need to support Arthur in the best way that you can. Good luck."

It was late in the morning when most of the people out of town were gathered on the training ground where they had finished preparing the tournament. Lyanna was seated between Marie and Morgana, who had Gwen at her side. The weather had gone rather chilly, and Lyanna was wearing a black cloak over her clothes to keep herself warm while she sat still to watch the battles.

The people started to applaud and to cheer when the knights came marching into the arena. Lyanna immediately spotted her brother between the knights, and the proud look on his face. She could tell how important this was for him, and how desperately he wanted to win this.

The knights stood in a line when the King paced before them. "Knights of the Realm, it is a great honor to introduce you to the tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors and, of course, to challenge the reigning champion – my son, Prince Arthur. Only one can have the honor of being crowned champion and he will receive a prize of one thousand gold pieces. It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature, whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward. The tournament begins!"

Everyone started to clap as the knights bowed before the crowd, and then left the arena to prepare themselves for battle.

"I think that Arthur has a great chance of winning," Marie supplied after she had seen all the knights that took part in the tournament.

"I hope you're right, Marie, but I cannot say for sure. Some knights surely look as if they can fight well. He should be careful and cannot let his guard down," Lyanna responded hesitantly. During her life she had seen many knights fighting in the tournament so she knew what they could do.

"I don't think that he's going to win," Morgana stated grimly from the other side.

Over the years Lyanna had seen Arthur grown into a skilled sword fighter, better than all the knights of Camelot. He fought bravely, and with honor. Yet she knew that their father was expecting a lot from him, and that he was under a lot of pressure. Sometimes she even wished that she could take that burden away from him.

Arthur had to participate into the first fight of the tournament. Lyanna cheered with excitement when her brother put his helmet on, and her father was seated onto his throne. The two knights took their fighting positions. The battle had begun!

The two of them started to swing with their swords. The sounds of swords clashing against the shields echoed across the field, making Lyanna even more excited. The knight Arthur was fighting against was decent, but an easy opponent. It only took a few minutes before Arthur managed to knock him onto the ground.

Lyanna rose from her chair and clapped happily, and noticed that Merlin was cheering in the exit-passage as well. More fights started, and Lyanna certainly was enjoying herself. The Knights who were participating in this tournament were certainly skilled, which resulted in amusing battles. In fact there was one knight that stood out against the others. It seemed that Lyanna wasn't the only one who had noticed that.

"Knight Valiant surely is skilled with a blade," Morgana said out loud by the time that the fights for the day had ended, obviously thinking the same thing. "Arthur is not going to win this tournament." With that Uther's ward walked away.

Morgana had always been different than her. She never cared what other people thought about her, and wasn't afraid to stand up against Uther. Something Lyanna was too afraid for. Yet she had always seen Morgana as her own sister. But sometimes the difference between the two of them kept her away. Which was probably why Lyanna felt closer with her servant.

"I still believe that Arthur has a great chance of winning," Marie said, causing Lyanna to snap back into reality.

"Me too, Marie," Lyanna agreed with her. "I really like tournaments, but it's the reception that is the dull part. This year my father has decided that the winner of the tournament is allowed to escort Morgana to the feast. Let's hope for her sake that Arthur wins since she doesn't want him to win."

Marie chuckled amusingly at the thought. "I can already imagine the look on their faces when Arthur is escorting her to the feast."

It was before nightfall when the throne room was filled with people. Lyanna was on the end of the line beside Morgana, as the knights that participated in the tournament stood in a line before them.

"I wish that this reception would end already," Lyanna complained after she had just complimented more than ten knights and was already done with this activity. She had promised Merlin that she would come over later and she really wanted to leave.

"It's not that bad," Morgana slightly disagreed with her. "This is a nice way to get introduced to the finest knights of the Realm." Surely only she saw this as a wonderful opportunity.

"It is if you're interested in those sorts of things," the princess muttered under her breath as she extended her hand to one of the knights who placed a light kiss on it. She certainly didn't. Noble men hardly interested her.

Before Marie or Morgana could respond to her knight Valiant was standing before the King. "Knight Valiant of the Western Isles, My Lord," he introduced himself.

"I saw you fighting today. You have a very aggressive style," Uther responded rather impressed.

"As my lord said, to lose is to be disgraced."

"I couldn't agree more," Uther said. Only he would agree with him."Knight Valiant, I would like to present the Lady Morgana. My ward."

Valiant stood before Morgana and placed a kiss on the back of her hand, while his gaze remained focused on her. "My lady."

"I saw you competing today," Morgana said with a smile on her lips.

"I saw you watching," Valiant responded smoothly, causing Lyanna to press her lips together. If she would start laughing now it would surely draw attention to her, so she did her best to keep quiet.

"I understand that the tournament champion has the honor to escort Milady to the feast," he continued.

"That is correct." Morgana couldn't get the smile off her face.

"Then I will give everything to win the tournament."

Lyanna felt disgusted. Knight Valiant surely behaved like a slick, and she couldn't believe that Morgana was falling for it. She had expected her friend to be smarter than that, but apparently she was wrong. Maybe it was also because she wasn't used to people flirting.

The princess smiled weakly at the knight as he placed a kiss upon her hand. "Milady, you are fairer than I could ever imagine." Many thoughts rushed through her head, and she wished more than anything that he would stop touching her. If he wouldn't she would surely hit him. Her hand was already tingling at the thought.

"You fought well today," Lyanna quickly said, trying to ignore the compliment he had just given to her. Valiant gave one final nod with his head in gratitude before he walked over to the other knights. Lyanna turned her head to face Marie and whispered, "Can you believe that guy? What a slimy freak."

Marie chuckled quietly in agreement. "He sure knows exactly what to say, Milady."

Lyanna had to hold back her laughter, and saw that Arthur was now standing before Morgana, who spoke, "They all seem rather impressed by knight Valiant."

"They're not the only ones," Arthur responded gruffly.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Morgana teased him.

"I don't see that there's anything to be jealous of," he snapped back and made his way over to his younger sister who immediately wrapped her arms around him. "At least someone is proud of me."

"I'm always proud of you," Lyanna told him honestly. "You fought amazing today, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You are the reigning champion for a reason."

Arthur slowly let go off her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I wouldn't know what I would do without my biggest fan. You always know what to say to make me feel better, little sister. Thank you." With that he walked away to the other knights.

"Could Arthur be any more annoying?" Morgana asked once Arthur was out of hearing range. "I sure hope knight Valiant wins the tournament."

Lyanna exchanged a look with Marie before she spoke, "I highly doubt that Arthur is going to lose this tournament. I have faith in my brother, and so should you."

Not wanting to talk more about the matter Lyanna picked up the skirt of her dress and walked out the throne room, followed suit by Marie. She excused her maid from her duties once they walked through the corridors before she made her way over to the physician chambers. When she opened the door she found Merlin to be seated at the table, eating dinner by himself. He had bags under his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you were eating dinner. I should leave you –"

She was interrupted in the middle of her sentence. "Nonsense. Please sit down. Gaius has made more than enough food for the three of us," he assured her. Lyanna sat down on the opposite of the table, noticing the physician's absence. "Gaius is currently checking on some patients in the lower town," he said when he saw her looking confused.

"So," Lyanna began after she had taken a first bite of her chicken leg. Very often the princess came to the physician chambers to talk with Gaius, simply because she liked his company. The old man always looked after her and she simply enjoyed listening to his stories. Occasionally he cooked for her when he knew that she hadn't eaten. "How is your first day as my brother's servant treating you so far?" she wondered.

He put down his chicken. "Well, if you ignore the fact that I had to clean and polish his armour then great," he responded sarcastically. Lyanna snickered softly at that.

"Perhaps it's an idea if you would ask Gwen tomorrow to demonstrate you how to put on armour in the right way. Her father is a blacksmith and she's quite good with it. Also it would impress Arthur if you would do it right," she suggested wisely.

They ate their chicken while Merlin told her more about his first day as a servant. By the time that they were finished Lyanna began to collect the filthy plates and pots and brought them to the small kitchen. "I'll do the dishes," she offered.

Merlin rose immediately. "No, I cannot let you do that. Let me," he objected.

Their gazes met. "Nonsense, Merlin. There is no reason why I should do this. And don't tell me because I'm the princess I don't have to do it, because that doesn't count. I want to."

He argued no more with her after that and helped her with cleaning the dishes, which made it go faster. Lyanna was so lost in cleaning a nasty stain from an cup that she nearly jumped out of her skin when the door of the room swung open with a large _bang _and Gaius entered. Only a plate flew towards the wall, but instead of hitting the wall it kept hovering before it. It took Lyanna mere seconds to figure out that she was controlling the plate. Her concentration broke and the plate fell on the ground. _She had used magic! And they had seen it!_

Unsure what to do Lyanna began to clean up the mess that she had made while both Merlin and Gaius looked at the princess in astonishment by what they had whitnessed. Gaius quickly closed the door before he spoke, "Lyanna, there is no need for panic," he said.

"Why shouldn't I panic?" she asked frightened. Her voice was trembling. "What do you think would happen if someone found out about this? What if my father –" she stopped to swallow her tears away. "He would kill me. Me. His own daughter. Something is terribly wrong with me."

"No, you mustn't think like that. There is nothing wrong with you," Merlin assured her placidly. His voice was as smooth as a calm river. "Sometimes magic reveals itself on a later age while others are born with it."

"You have to hide your magic," Gaius told her from the other side.

Lyanna dared to look up to meet Merlin's gaze, being slightly frightened that they would now think differently of her. "Is that what you do?" she asked him and saw his eyes widen in confusion. "I saw you using magic the other day to bring down that chandelier on Lady Helen. I didn't want to tell you that I knew because I didn't want to scare you away."

Merlin only smiled faintly at her. "I'm glad that it was you who saw it and not someone else. I can tell that it's not easy to keep a secret as big as this from others and to pretend you're normal. There is nothing wrong with having magic. It doesn't change who you are inside, because that's what matters. I could teach you how to control it and how to become stronger, but only if you want to," he offer her politely.

"Your secret is in safe hands with us," Gaius tried to reassure her and pulled her back onto her feet. "No one is going to find out about this. We can guarantee you that."

Surprisingly enough Lyanna felt a tear slip from her eye and she quickly rubbed it away. "Thank you. Both of you. I don't know what I can say to thank you," she replied, feeling incredibly overwhelmed by the events. It sure was a lot to process this new discovery. It would change everything.

"By letting us help you," Merlin responded with a warm smile. Lyanna licked her lips. They should hate her for who she is, but instead they've quickly accepted this new discovery because they understand what she's going through and only want to help her. "You're not alone in this."

"Perhaps it's for the best if you go to your chambers to let this all sink in," Gaius assured her. And she did what he asked of her. That night Lyanna lay away for many hours trying to think about what she had find out. It puzzled her immensely that she had this power that she didn't know about before today. She knew that she had no other choice than to try to control her magic in case she would accidently throw something at her father. That thought already put shivers into her skin. Only Merlin could help her now.

It was still early when she felt Marie shaking her shoulders the next morning. "Milady, it's time to wake up. It's tournament day," Marie announced with her cheerful voice. Lyanna rubbed the sleep out of her hazel eyes and leaped onto her feet. "Are you alright? It looks like you haven't slept at all."

She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep," Lyanna muttered while Marie began to help her into a bright blue dress with long white sleeves. Two strands of her blonde hair were braided onto the back of her head, and Marie placed a silver circlet on the top of her head.

"Is something troubling you?" Marie asked slightly concerned.

_Besides the fact that I've just found out that I have magic… _"I'm alright, Marie. Just tired and a bit anxious for the tournament. I do hope Arthur wins today," she changed the subject. She really wanted to spend some time by herself. "Thanks for helping me, Marie. I decided to give you some time off to spend with your sister before the tournament starts. I'm sure Lucy would appreciate the company." Marie's parents were both servants who didn't make lots of money and were working many longs hours in the castle. Their youngest daughter Lucy was only six years old. Lyanna tried to send Marie home whenever she could so that the young girl would be surrounded by her own

"Are you sure that's alright?" Marie asked hesitantly. She didn't like the idea of not being needed. It was kind of her nature. Just like Lyanna she wanted to help others. "I could help you anything else."

"I'm fine," she assured her. "I know that I've send you away yesterday, but I don't do it because I don't want you around. I do it because you've spend so much time looking after me, that you deserve some time for your own. Go now, and meet me here before the tournament starts."

Marie didn't say anything, but boomed with happiness as she turned around and walked away. Lyanna waited until she was completely out of sight until she continued walking. It only took a couple of minutes until she exited the castle, and walked through the courtyard.

Lyanna halted in her tracks when little children ran after her, begging her for stories. It was only just past dawn, which meant that there was plenty of time until her presence was required at the tournament. She settled on the courtyard steps, surrounded by the children, Lyanna placed the young girl, Melitha, onto her lap.

"What story do you want to hear today?" she asked eying them curiously. "I've told you about the great battle a few days past."

"Can you tell us something about dragons?" one of the children asked with big eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.

And so she did tell them everything about dragons, and how they were all killed years ago, and her father's battle against it. They were listening intently and sometimes gasped when she mentioned something thrilling.

"Do you believe that dragons are evil creatures, princess Lyanna?" Melitha asked once she was finished with telling her story.

Lyanna hesitated a second before she spoke, "I do not, my dear. I believe that dragons only fought back because humans started to attack them. Right now I must be going or I will be too late at the tournament."

The children didn't follow her through the courtyard, but remained seated on the stairs of the castle. Lyanna was too busy with looking at them that she bumped into someone, and should've got knocked onto the ground with full force, but she felt two hands hold her tightly.

"Lyanna, are you alright?" a familiar voice asked. Lyanna noticed how blue his eyes were. They have the color of a clear summer's day sky – so blue, and definitely captivating.

"I'm fine," she assured him. Since she was pressed against his chest, she was able to feel his strong and healthy heartbeat through his clothes. "I – uhm… wasn't paying attention to where I was going myself. I'm sorry, Merlin. Where are you going anyway?"

"I'm on my way to get Arthur's armour from the armoury for today's battle," Merlin told her as he hastily let go off her. "I should get going now, or he will eat me for breakfast. First I need to find it. I keep forgetting where it is…"

Lyanna licked her lips before she spoke, "Let me help you. I know where it is. Come on," she instructed and completely caught him by surprise when she grabbed him by his wrist, and pulled him along with her through the courtyard ignoring the gazes of the villagers of Camelot. She leaded him through the corridor of the castle, and into the armoury. "Here we are."

The small room was filled with all sorts of armoury from the participating knights in the tournament. Arthur's armour was placed upon a small table in the middle.

"Thank you," he said as he released himself, and made his way over to the table to fetch Arthur's armour. He was about to say something, but was brought to silence by a hissing sound.

"Who's there?" Lyanna asked in astonishment as she followed Merlin through the armoury as the hissing continued. The young warlock stopped causing Lyanna to slightly bump into him when they sound of hissing came from a shield on the ground. She kneeled down beside him only to see one of the eyes of the snakes on the shield, blink.

She exchanged a look with Merlin only to confirm that they both hadn't imagined it. Merlin drew closer to the shield, and slowly reached out for it with his hand while Lyanna was grasping his shoulder.

They both nearly jumped out their skin when a blade appeared before Merlin, which made them both stand up straight. Valiant was standing before them with his sword in his hand. "Can I help you with something, boy and Princess Lyanna?"

"No," Lyanna quickly answered, not wanting to look all mysterious and guilty. "We're all good. We've came her to fetch the armour of Prince Arthur."

Merlin didn't say anything, but made his way over to the table to grab the armour in his arms.

"Then you best be on your way," Valiant told them.

"Alright, yeah," Merlin muttered nervously as he walked towards the door, and nearly tripped over Valiant's foot. "No problem. Come on, princess."

Lyanna didn't say anything, but only gave the knight an angry glare before she followed the sorcerer out of the armoury. He was waiting for her in the hallway, but leaded her to a small hallway away from the curious eyes.

"There is something wrong about him," Lyanna said as soon as she was certain that no one could hear them. "You and I both saw that snake on his shield blink." As soon as she had said it she realized how odd it sounded. Shields didn't blink.

"We did," Merlin assured her feeling just as confused as she did. "But we cannot suspect anything yet. Maybe it was nothing. It is best that we remain cautious, because we don't know what he's hiding."

"Fair enough," she agreed with him and crossed her arms indifferently. "It would be wise to bring the armour to Arthur right away. He's probably waiting for you because the tournament starts soon. You've seen his temper yesterday." He didn't say anything, but just stared at her. "Hurry."

That was enough to break his staring. "Alright. I'll see you later then." With that he hastily ran away through the corridor of the castle. Lyanna watched him until he was completely out of sight while she tried to regain her breath, and then walked away herself towards the arena.

Lyanna was walking towards her seat in the audience when she someone gently grabbed her wrist. It was her father. "My dear, I would highly appreciate it if you would sit down beside me today," he said. "I see you as little as it is."

"No problem, Father," she responded uncertainly and sat down on the comfortable throne beside him. Uther was seated in the center and Lyanna on the right with Marie, while Morgana was seated on the right side with Gwen beside her.

The people started to cheer as soon as prince Arthur entered the field, and rose his helmet in the air. Everyone wanted the future King to win this tournament, which had made him their favorite.

The first battle of the day quickly started, and Lyanna caught herself rooting for her brother whenever he managed to hit his opponent. It was a short battle which was easily won by Arthur, which made him go further in this tournament.

More battles started, and Lyanna was enjoying herself once more. The battles were short, but certainly filled with excitement. The hairs in her neck stood up straight by the time that it was Valiant's turn, and she was hoping that he would lose this match.

Unfortunately that didn't happen. Valiant managed to win the match, by leaving knight Ewan unconscious on the ground. She couldn't help but feel as if something was terribly wrong.

It was only ten minutes after the fights of the day had ended that Lyanna burst through the door of Gaius chamber. Here she found both Merlin and Gaius standing beside Knight Ewan who was lying on a wooden bench.

"How is he doing?" Lyanna asked concerned as she rushed to their side.

"It is very odd," Gaius told them. "Take a look. See these two small wounds. They look like a snakebite." Gaius was right. There were to small bites in the knight's neck.

Lyanna exchanged a brief look with Merlin who said, "How can he get bitten by a snake? He was injured in a swordfight."

"His symptoms are consistent with poisoning. Slow pulse, fever, paralysis."

"Is there anything that we can do to heal him?" Lyanna asked.

"Well, if it is a snake bite, I'll need to extract venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote," Gaius told them as he stood up.

Merlin hesitated a second before he spoke, "What happens if he doesn't get the antidote?"

"Then I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for him. He's going to die."

The words of the court physician struck Lyanna like thunder and she immediately leaped onto her feet. The princess looked at the young warlock who was doing the exact same thing. "He was fighting against Valiant," she said.

"What's that?" Gaius asked while he was busy with looking after Ewan's wounds.

"Nothing," Merlin said and gestured for Lyanna to follow him, which she did. The two of them rushed out of the chamber and through the corridor of the castle. "We have to be certain that Valiant is hiding something."

"How are we going to do that? By spying on him I presume?" she guessed indifferently. The thought of spying on a knight wasn't exactly taunting. But it was all that they could do it they wanted to be certain that Valiant was involved in this.

Merlin was about to say something, but pushed her behind the pillar when her heard footsteps approaching. Lyanna was able to hear his soft and regular breathing while Valiant walked through the hall, carrying his shield in his hands.

By the time Valiant was out of reach he motioned for her to follow him. Lyanna walked on the tip of her toes, not trying to make any sound on the solid ground. They walked towards Valiant's chamber, and Merlin slowly pulled open the door far enough so that they could see inside.

Lyanna saw how Valiant grabbed a small mouse out of a box that stood on the table, and muttered, "Dinnertime." The knight laughed with mischief as he sat down on a wooden chair before his shield with the mouse in his hands. Three snakes came alive out of the shield, and hungrily approached the mouse. He was using magic!

The young sorceress tightly grabbed Merlin's arm for comfort when the snakes tried to swallow the mouse in one bite. Clearly Merlin agreed that he had seen enough as well, and pulled Lyanna along with him through the hall, knocking over something on the ground.

The two of them ran rapidly through the hallway, in the hope not to get caught. The breathing of Lyanna grew heavier with each step. Merlin pulled her along with him behind the pillar, and motioned her to silence by covering her mouth behind his hand. This wasn't the time to get nervous.

They heard the footsteps of Valiant approach, and Lyanna anxiously held her breath when Merlin pulled her to the other side of the pillar right in time before Valiant would see them. They both waited long enough until the knight turned around, and walked away.

"Did that just happen?" Lyanna asked once she was certain that Valiant was gone. "Did those snakes on his shield just come alive? And better yet, did they eat that mouse?"

Merlin nodded faintly. "Valiant is using magic to summon the snakes during the battles. This is how Sir Ewan got the bite wounds. He got bitten by the snakes. There is no other explanation for it."

Lyanna knew that he was right. Nothing else could explain how a knight got snakebites in his neck during combat. "What do we do now?"

"I'm going to tell Gaius what we've just found out. Maybe he can come up with a solution," Merlin suggested wisely.

"Sounds logical. Do you mind coming sharing new information with me once you've spoken to Gaius?"

"Not at all," he assured her.

"Thank you. I'll be waiting in my chambers then so no one will get suspicious," she replied, smiling sweetly. Lyanna gave him one last glance before she turned around and walked away, leaving the young warlock behind in the empty hallway.

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**Please review!**


	3. Valiant pt 2

Special thanks to **waszka098 **& **Guest **for their reviews!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the one I've made up myself.

**A/N-**Thank you SO much **wazka098 & Guest **for your reviews! I'm glad you are enjoying the story :) I also appreciate everyone who has added this story to their alerts or as its favorites. It would be useful if I got some reviews from you lovely readers so I know what you think about it :) I cannot guarantee that the next chapter will be updated within a few days, because it's quite a lot to write. I'll do whatever I can.

**Please enjoy the next chapter :)**

**- x Milou Lilly **

* * *

**Chapter three: Valiant pt. 2**

Lyanna entered the stables once she and Merlin had said their goodbyes. She thought that it would be a good idea to go for a ride through the woods so that she could think in silence. Her horse Lumiere was standing in the last box. The black and white steed snorted excited when he saw her approaching. She patted its pink muzzle. "Do you want to go for a ride, boy?" she asked him and Lumiere licked across her face with its rough tongue, causing her to giggle.

Two years ago her father had given her this young horse for her name day, but only if she would train him herself. Lyanna had spent many long days in the woods trying get Lumiere got used to her. Eventually the horse dared to come closer and allowed her to climb its back. That was when she taught him how to ride and to obey. Years later Lumiere completely trusts Lyanna and the two are good friends.

It didn't take long until Lyanna rode through the Camelot gate on Lumiere's back before any of the guards would come after her. Uther had forbidden her from going away on her own countless of times, but she always refused to listen. Being stuck in Camelot could be suffocating at times and that's why Lyanna often sneaked out on her own so she could be by herself.

They rode between the trees and Lyanna listened to the birds chirping while the strong wind played with her golden hair, something which always calmed her down. After a while Lyanna had reached her favorite secluded place in the woods where no one ever came. It lay secluded behind a hill and several trees, so it was difficult to find. Here she let Lumiere walk freely so that he could graze while she sat down on a mossy stone. A sigh rolled over her lips.

It still hadn't completely sunk in that she possessed magic now. Surely she had often wondered what it would be like to have it, but she never thought it would be like this. At this moment Lyanna feared it because she might be discovered. The only thing that she could do was trying to control it. Perhaps she could do it alone.

Lyanna concentrated long and hard on a rock that lay before her feet, but nothing happened. She had expected that she would be able to move the stone around. She guessed that the incident with the plate had just been a random action which she didn't seem to be able to do again. What did she expect? Her powers were never used. Controlling items like that required lots of practice which she hadn't done. Like she expected only Merlin might be able to help her out with this matter.

She returned to her chamber and hour later and let herself fall backwards onto her bed while she stared at the ceiling for an unknown while. A soft knock on her door broke her thoughts. "Enter," she replied a bit doubtful. The door went open and Merlin entered the room looking rather upset. "What did Gaius say?"

"He told me that Uther was never going to believe me if I didn't have any prove. The word of a knight is of more value than that of a servant," Merlin sulked sadly.

Lyanna sighed, knowing that Gaius was right. Her father was never going to believe them as long as they didn't have any prove. "I'm sorry. I wish that there was something I could do. My father is not going to listen to me if I can't prove what we've seen."

Merlin smiled faintly at her. "There is no need to worry. I'm sure that we can come up with something that will prove to everyone that Valiant is using magic."

The third day of the tournament was about to start when Lyanna was seated beside the king and Marie. This morning her servant had braided her hair thoroughly, which had taken hours to accomplish while they chatted about ordinary things like they always did. She was wearing a silk green dress, with long sleeves and with a golden belt, and the same silver circlet she was wearing the previous day.

Arthur was the first to fight against a tall knight who looked strong and muscular, making her brother look slim. The knight appeared to be a worthy opponent, but turned out to have a weakness. He was slow… something Arthur took as an advantage. The prince eventually managed to strike the knight down with a firm blow with his shield, claiming victory. Everyone started to cheer as Arthur took in the applause.

"He is doing well," Marie said impressed, clapping enthusiastically.

"Indeed he is," Lyanna agreed with her, a big smile touching her lips. "All that's left now is winning the final. I believe that he can do this. We must have faith."

The next match was that of Valiant against another knight. Lyanna held her breath as she watched with mixed feelings how Valiant defeated his opponent with a swing from his sword and not with his magic. He must be saving it for a tougher opponent.

"Arthur is fighting Valiant in the final," Lyanna gasped in astonishment while the knight that Valiant had just defeated got carried off the field. His body went limp. The man was dead.

The eyes of her servant widened. "That man sure fights aggressively," Marie responded with a concerned look. "I do hope that Arthur will be able to defeat him. We must have faith."

Lyanna met her gaze, giving a faint smile. "I hope so as well, Marie." She jumped up from her seat and everyone looked at her. "Excuse me."

Ignoring their confused looks the princess rushed past them and left the tournament ground. She walked through the long corridor of doors for several minutes with a steady pace until she reached the room of the court physician.

Here she found Merlin sitting on a chair beside Ewan, who was still lying on the wooden cot. A few candles were the only light in the room as Lyanna made her way over to them.

"Are you alright?" she asked concerned as she stood beside him, looking down at Ewan who hasn't made any progress since the previous day.

Before Merlin could say something Gaius entered the chamber and walked towards them. "Look. What I said yesterday: Uther really wouldn't really listen to you, or me, or Lyanna. But you are right. We can't let Valiant get away with this."

"Then what do you expect that we do? There isn't any prove," Lyanna slightly objected. "Is there anything that we could do?"

"If we can cure Ewan he could tell the King that Valiant was using magic. The King would believe another knight," Gaius suggested wisely. Lyanna knew that the court physician was right. Over the years she had grown used to the stubbornness of her father, and was aware how important the opinions of the knights were to him. "But how do we get the antidote? Well that's another matter."

Merlin exchanged a look with Lyanna to see if she was thinking the same thing, which she obviously was. If they wanted to stop Valiant this was the only thing that they could do. They had to get a snake's head. Together they leaped onto their feet and rushed out of the physciain chambers.

The two of them made their way through the corridors in silence, until they reached the chamber of Valiant. "We should have plenty of time," Lyanna informed him. "Valiant is currently at the reception which I'm not attending, but should be. Anyway he won't be here for a while."

"Excellent," Merlin said relieved as he made his way over to the door, and found out that it was locked. He placed his hand before the door and whispered, "_Aliese."_

Lyanna was admiring the way that he had managed to unlock the door, but was interrupted when he pulled her along with her into the chamber, closing the door behind her. She hoped that she would be able to use magic like that herself one day. "Here." She handed him a sword while she grabbed one for herself.

"Thanks," Merlin responded as he extended the sword towards the shield, but nothing happened. It looked like any ordinary shield with a design of a household. Merlin kneeled before the shield was he thoroughly tried to figure how to release the snakes.

Someone was trying to open the door. Lyanna held the sword tightly in her hands. She hoped that all those long hours practicing her sword fighting would pay off. The sound of footsteps faded away and Lyanna turned to face the shield when she heard the same familiar hissing as she did yesterday. One of the snakes had freed himself out of the shield and was getting closer to Merlin.

Before Lyanna could step in front of him, Merlin swung with the sword and chopped the snakes head straight off. Immediately the other snakes freed themselves out of the shield, but Lyanna quickly grabbed the snakes head off the ground and pulled Merlin along with her out of the chamber. _They had done it!_

"Very impressive," she whispered as they were running through the corridor. "I had no idea that you knew how to hold a sword. You're surprising me every time, Merlin."

She heard him laughing quietly beside her. "I had no idea that I could do that myself. I guess Arthur's training did work," he said sarcastically. They both knew that this was just an act of luck.

The two of them made it back to Gaius chamber in only a couple of minutes. "Where did you two go if I might ask?" the court physician asked perplexed. "I was talking to you, and then you two just left without saying a word."

"We went to get this," Lyanna said, trying to regain her breath. She handed him the snake's head. "It came alive out of Valiant's shield. Merlin managed to chop its head off. You can use it to make an antidote for Ewan."

Gaius looked astonished while he examined the head for a brief moment. "Unbelievable," he muttered while walking over towards the table where he started to take the venom out of the snake's fangs, and poured it into a small bottle. "I'm going to start preparing the antidote."

"I'm going to tell Arthur," Merlin stated, heading towards the door.

"You're going to need this," Gaius added, handing him the snake's head. "And what you two did out there was very brave." The court physician turned around to continue with preparing the antidote.

Merlin watched him for a second before he turned around but was halted by Lyanna's clear voice. "Wait." The young warlock turned around to face her with confusion written in his summer blue eyes. "You're going to need me if you hope to convince Arthur. I know him better than anyone else and he might believe me." Lyanna didn't give him any time to consider her option, but walked straight past him out of the door. It took a couple of seconds before he followed suit.

When they had finally reached Arthur's chambers Lyanna began to tell him everything that they had discovered about knight Valiant. As she spoke Arthur looked at his sister with a skeptical look, having a hard time believing what she said.

"He?" Arthur asked in astonishment by the time that Lyanna was done with telling him everything. "He chopped its head off?"

The princess crossed her arms, making a little plop with her lips. "Do you honestly think that I would storm into your room like this to tell you a lie? I thought that you knew me better than this, Archie." At the mention of his nickname she saw him narrow his eyes.

"Ewan was bitten by a snake from the shield when he was fighting Valiant," Merlin explained. "You can talk to Gaius. You can see the puncture wounds in Ewan's neck where the snake bit him. Ewan was beating him. If he didn't cheat he would lose."

Arthur didn't sound too impressed with what they had discovered. "Valiant wouldn't dare to use magic in Camelot," he protested.

"I highly doubt that," Lyanna disagreed, meeting his gaze. "Ewan was pinned under Valiant's shield. No one in the audience could've seen the snake bit him. That's the only way how that creep was able to get away with it. He's not fighting fair."

"I don't like the guy, but that doesn't mean that he's cheating," Arthur continued, standing up. He didn't want to believe that someone was using magic to hurt innocent people. She understood that.

Merlin sighed tiredly. "Gaius is preparing an antidote to the snake venom. When Ewan is conscious, he'll tell you what happened. If you fight Valiant in the final, he'll use the shield. It's the only way he can beat you! Look at it!" Merlin showed him the snake's head and Arthur made his way over to him to observe it. "Have you ever seen snakes like this in Camelot? I know I'm just a servant and my word doesn't count for anything. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Neither would I," Lyanna added, reassuringly placing her hand upon his shoulder. "I'm your sister and I've never lied to you in my life." Arthur shot her a look. "Well, maybe I did once… twice. It doesn't matter. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't trying to warn you for what could happen if we don't stop Valiant from using magic."

The prince of Camelot hesitated for a moment while he tried to let all the fresh information sink. It sure was a lot to process. "I want you two to swear that what you're telling me is true."

"Upon my life, brother," Lyanna easily swore, letting go off his shoulder. The thought Arthur getting hurt was too painful, and she wanted to do anything that she could to prevent it. She couldn't risk losing him because he was too stubborn to believe it, even though that what they said sounded foolish.

"I swear it's true," Merlin added honestly, standing beside the witch. They both waited patiently for a respond.

Arthur inhaled deeply before he spoke. "Then I will believe you two." Lyanna quickly exchanged a look with Merlin who was looking just as proud as she was. They had convinced him of the truth. All that waited now was the rest of Camelot. Lyanna sure hoped that luck was on their side. They were going to need it.

It had taken nearly an hour for Arthur and Lyanna to completely arrange to Royal Court to gather. The throne room was filled with all sorts of important people, and Knight Valiant was being escorted by some guards. The King was the last to enter the room and Lyanna felt the tension grow heavy.

"Why did you summon the court?" Uther asked gruffly, obviously not pleased with this sudden decision.

Arthur looked at Lyanna for a brief second before he spoke, "We believe that knight Valiant is using a magic shield to cheat in the tournament," he admitted.

Silence found its way into the throne room while everyone was looking to one another. They all thought that it couldn't be true. "Valiant, what do you have to say to this?" Uther demanded to know.

"My Lord, this is ridiculous. I've never used magic," Valiant responded, playing innocent. "Do your children have any evidence to support these outrages accusations?"

"We do," Lyanna interfered, not wanting her brother to stand completely alone against this slimy man. The princess motioned Merlin to give the snakes head to the King who examined thoroughly. He wouldn't be able to recognize the snake.

He observed it for a moment. "Let me see this shield," Uther commanded, once he wasn't fully convinced. Valiant didn't hesitated and handed it to the King.

Lyanna was standing too far away and wasn't able to hear what Merlin whispered to Arthur, but the prince unsheathed his sword. "Be careful, My Lord," he warned earning some stern glanced in return. Clearly his support wasn't appreciated.

Uther ignored the warning and stroke the shield to see if he could find anything ordinary. Merlin made his way over to Gaius who had just entered the throne room with some news.

"As you can see My Lord, it's just a normal shield," Valiant told him.

Lyanna clenched her hands into fists. "Of course he would say that. He's not going to let anyone see them coming alive by using magic," she objected stubbornly. Her hatred for this man was growing with every second and she wanted nothing more than to see him getting paid for what he had done. She felt a fire burning inside herself. Lyanna had always seen justice as something important and wanted to fight for it.

"Well how I am to know that what you say is true?" Uther asked her, still not believing a word that they had said.

"Because it is true," Lyanna spat out. "We have a witness. Knight Ewan was bitten by one of the snakes on the shield. The venom made him grievously ill, however he was received an antidote. I'm sure that he will confirm that knight Valiant is using magic."

"Where is this witness?" Uther asked, starting to sound a little suspicious.

Lyanna turned around to face Gaius. "He should be here…" Arthur muttered beside her, but stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw Gaius discussing something with Merlin and made his way over to them followed by Lyanna.

"Where is knight Ewan?" she asked immediately.

Merlin swallowed loudly. "He's dead." Lyanna cursed inwardly. This meant that they were left without a witness. That meant that her father wasn't going to believe them now. This witness was all that they had. The snake's head wouldn't be enough.

"I'm waiting," Uther said impatiently, getting tired of this nonsense.

Arthur's eyes lingered across the room and slowly paced forwards. "I'm afraid the witness is dead," he stated grimly.

"So you two have no proof to support these allegations?" Uther wondered as he stepped forwards to his children. "Have either of you seen Valiant using magic?"

"… no," Arthur admitted truthfully. "I didn't, but my servant fought…"

"Your servant? You make these outrageous accusations against a knight on the word of your servant?" Uther spat out indifferently.

Lyanna wanted to tell the truth and what she had seen, but there was no way that she could come between them. She was certain that Arthur didn't tell them about her because he was protecting her from his rage.

"I believe he's telling the truth," Arthur continued standing up for Merlin.

"My Lord, am I really to be judged on some hearsay from a boy?" Valiant interrupted.

"I've seen those snakes come alive!" Merlin told them as he hastily made his way to Arthur.

"How dare you interrupt! Guards!" Uther roared nearly fuming with anger. The guards came forward to seize Merlin and to drag him out of the throne room.

"Father, please," Lyanna pleaded, coming between them. "Listen to me. Merlin isn't the only one who has seen the snakes on Valiant's shield come alive. I was there with him. He was feeding them a mouse, which one of them swallowed easily. He is using magic, he's only too frightened to admit the truth like the coward he is."

Silence found its way to the throne room again. Never before had she stood up against her father like that, but this time she didn't have another choice. Normally it was Morgana who was brave enough to speak. The thought of Merlin getting thrown into the dungeons for nothing was something she didn't want to think about. She had to do whatever she could to stop that.

"How dare you speak on such a tone to a knight like that," Uther said with disbelieve after a long moment of silence, looking cross at his daughter. Lyanna wondered if he was angry enough to take Lumiere away from her.

"I'm sure that they were both merely mistaking," Valiant interfered. "I wouldn't want either of them punished on my account."

"You see? This is how a true knight behaves," the King explained. "With gallantry and honor." Lyanna dramatically rolled with her eyes at that.

"My Lord, if your son made these accusations together with the princess because he's too afraid to fight me then I will graciously accept his withdrawal," Valiant continued.

Lyanna was to open her mouth to protest, but was silenced by an angry glare from her father. "Is this true? Do you wish to withdraw from the tournament?"

"No!" Arthur stated simply.

"Then what am I to make of these allegations?"

"Obviously there has been a misunderstanding. I withdraw the allegation against knight Valiant. Please accept my apology," Arthur humbly said as he sheathed his sword.

"I accept it," Valiant replied.

Lyanna couldn't believe what just had happened. They almost had won, which had meant that Valiant would be sentenced to death, if it wasn't because their witness had passed away. _They had been so close._

"Lyanna," Uther gruffly said, causing his daughter to face him again. "It would be wise if you would apologize to Valiant as well for speaking on such tone."

She wanted to object, but after seeing the waiting faces in the room she realized that she didn't have another choice. "I want to apologize for my behavior and I do hope that you accept it." The words hurt her throat when Lyanna had said them as if they were burning.

"I accept it," Valiant repeated, but this time she could see a look of amusement in his eyes. He was enjoying this victory.

Shortly after that event in the throne room Lyanna had followed Merlin and her brother into his room. "I believed you two. I trusted you, and you made me look like a complete fool," Arthur said to them as he was leaning against the table.

"I know it didn't go exactly to plan…" Merlin sulked.

Arthur turned his head to face his manservant. "Didn't go to plan?" he roared as he stood up. "My father and the entire Royal Court think I'm a coward! You two humiliated me!"

"That's not entirely true," Lyanna placidly interrupted. She was seated on the edge of his bed, staring out of the window. "Everything was going according to plan if Ewan hadn't died. I'm sure Valiant is behind this. He's getting rid of all the evidence that point to him as being guilty. He's outplaying us."

"We can still expose Valiant," Merlin suggested as he walked after Arthur.

Arthur took a deep breath before he spoke, "I no longer require your services."

Lyanna felt an anxiety growing inside her stomach. "Are you being serious?" she asked in astonishment. "You cannot sack him. We all know that Merlin has done nothing but telling you the truth. You need him."

"I need a servant I can trust," Arthur said indifferently.

"You _can_ trust me," Merlin protested, proving the prince of his innocence.

"And look where it got me this time. _Get out of my sight_!" he snapped with anger.

Merlin gazed at him for a few seconds before he stormed out of the room. Lyanna hands trilled of anger. "I do hope that you're satisfied with yourself. I cannot believe that you sacked Merlin because he was being completely honest with you. I understand why you're upset. Surely I do," she soothed placidly. "That doesn't justify blaming it all on someone who wouldn't even harm a fly. You're making a mistake here." With that the princess rushed out of the room.

After looking around the castle for thirty minutes Lyanna had found the young warlock wandering across the courtyard. She was seated on the steps as she watched him pace before her. "I'm sorry for what happened to you," Lyanna apologized truthfully. "I wish that there was anything that I could do make Arthur change his mind, I would –"

She was interrupted by his gentleness in his voice. "There is no need to feel sorry. It's not your fault. You did all that you could to help me convince everyone, and for that I am grateful. Arthur would've never believed me in the first place if it weren't for you."

Lyanna smiled faintly. "That may be so, but I'm also the reason why he sacked you. I'm certain that Valiant got suspicious when you chopped off a snake's head and then decided to kill Ewan himself so that there wouldn't be a witness to confirm it."

Merlin didn't respond immediately, but continued to pace for a short moment until his blue eyes brightened up. "Do you mind following me?" he asked without telling her anything.

"Where are we going?" Lyanna wondered as she followed him across the courtyard. Over the week that she had got to know Merlin she had realized how much she trusted him already, without knowing much about him personally. The fact that they were both possessed magic and had to hide in the shadow was the reason why Lyanna felt so connected to him. She wanted to help him, like he wanted to help her.

"You'll see," Merlin responded mysteriously, not giving away anything. He leaded her inside the castle and through the empty corridors until they reached the dungeon. Lyanna watched with fascination how he used a spell to distract the guards and easily snuck passed them with her right behind him.

Merlin grabbed a torch to lighten up the dark place around them as he walked through the cave. "Why are we going to the dungeon where my father is keeping the Great Dragon?" Lyanna asked as she had figured out where they were going to. Never before had she stepped a foot in the dungeon, only because her father had warned her about the wrath of the dragon.

"Because he might be able to help us," Merlin replied. "I've been here before to talk to him, and he had told me that it was my destiny to protect Arthur. He may have an idea how to stop Valiant."

Lyanna had heard plenty of stories about the dragon that had been imprisoned under the castle for over twenty years now. Never before had she heard someone telling that the dragon would give advice.

The path ended and leaded them to a large cliff in the middle of the cave. Merlin was searching at every sight in the hope to find the beast. "Where are you?" There came no respond. "I just came to tell; that whatever you think my destiny is, whatever it is that you think I'm supposed to do. You _got _the wrong person. That's it. Good bye."

Lyanna was sharing the same disappointment as Merlin was, but did her best not to show him. He gestured her back out of the cave when she heard an unfamiliar voice talking, which caused the hairs in her neck to stand up straight.

"If only it was so easy to escape ones destiny."

The sound of chains ringing echoed through the cave as a dragon landed before them on a large boulder. The dragon was bigger than Lyanna imagined it would be, and even more mighty. "Princess Lyanna," the Great Dragon greeted. "I was already wondering when you would show up here."

Lyanna blinked a few time making sure that it wasn't all a dream. "How do you know me?" she stammered puzzled.

"I've heard plenty about the daughter of Uther and the young witch of Camelot. Your destiny is intertwined with that of Merlin. You were given your powers for a reason. You are both chosen to protect Arthur from any harm that can come to him, so that he can become the One and Future King of Camelot," the Great Dragon explained to her.

"How can I protect someone who hates me?" Merlin interfered.

"A piece cannot truly hate that what makes it whole. Very soon you shall learn that."

"Ah great," Merlin mocked. "Just what I needed. Another riddle."

"Yours and Arthur's path lie together, that is but the truth. Young Lyanna is just of as much importance as you are. Together only you can prevent the downfall of Camelot and bring magic back to this kingdom," the Great Dragon supplied wisely.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Merlin asked.

"You know, young warlock, this isn't the end. It is the beginning. You and Lyanna will find a way." With that the dragon flew back to the edge it was lying on before it had appeared.

Lyanna didn't know what to say, but only stared how the mighty creature disappeared. "Just give us a straight answer," Merlin complained, already growing tired of the way this dragon communicated, but didn't get a respond. "Come on, Lyanna."

Nearly an hour had passed since their encounter with the Great Dragon and Lyanna was still letting all the fresh information sink. Her head was pounding as the words of the Great Dragon kept repeating themselves. She had only just discovered that she had magic the other day and now some dragon was telling her that it was her destiny to protect her brother.

The two of them were seated on the steps outside of the castle while the sun shined brightly in the morning sky. Birds were whistling and children were laughing on the streets. At all it seemed like a wonderful day.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked concerned when the silence was driving him insane.

"It's just a lot to process," Lyanna told him. "I had no idea that I was given powers because it would be my destiny to make sure that Arthur would become the King of Camelot. Nevertheless that I would share that faith with someone else."

"Well at least we're together in this," Merlin said hopeful while his gaze lingered to a statue of a dog a couple of meters away from them. "That's it…" he whispered and leaped onto his feet to rush over to the statue.

"What? Where are you going?" Lyanna asked blankly as she followed him.

Merlin used all his strength as he tried to lift the statue from its plateau. "Is there any way that we can get a wheelbarrow?"

It had taken them nearly ten minutes to reach the chamber of the court physician. Merlin was carrying the wheelbarrow, which Lyanna had arranged by asking one of the guards, with the statue of the dog in it.

"What are you two doing with that?" Gaius asked after he had seen the weird sight.

"We're going to try to let everyone see the snakes for themselves," Lyanna told him and faced the court physician who looked rather impressed with the idea. Merlin smiled at him like a little child.

Lyanna assisted with lifting the statue up the small stairs that leaded to the chamber of Arthur's sacked manservant. They placed it in front of the bed. Merlin shove a plank out of the floor to grab his spell book and then sat down beside Lyanna as he fluttered through the pages.

"I had no idea that spell book could be so fascinating," she muttered in astonishment as she peered over his shoulder at the pages. The Camelot library had the most books throughout the entire kingdom, but they didn't obtain a single spell book so this was the first time that she reading one.

"I've spend hours reading through it," Merlin told her with a grin plastered on his lips. "You can have it if you want to. I can ask Gaius –"

"No, I can't," Lyanna humbly declined. "This book is yours and belongs to only you. Besides I cannot possibly hide a spell book in my chamber where people can walk in and out unattended. It would be surety for me to end up in the fire."

"Alright, but only on one condition," Merlin responded.

Lyanna cocked one of her eyebrows as she sat up straight. "And what may that be?"

"That you spend as much time with me as possible while we learn these spells together," he said with a warm smile that spread the warmth inside her chest which she hadn't felt in a very long time. She was surprised that someone she barely knew was willing to spent time with her_. _"You've heard the Great Dragon. We are supposed to be doing this together and I don't wish to do this with anyone else. Besides I had already promised that I would help you control your magic."

It took a few seconds before Lyanna answered, and she smiled kindly. "You sure are a flirt, Merlin. I will do my absolute best to make it work. You have my word."

"Great," he retorted cheerfully. "Let's practice a bit first shall we." Merlin sat down beside her on the bed and turned her head towards the candle that stood on his nightstand. It wasn't burning. "I want you to concentrate on the candle to make it burn. You don't need to force it. You just need to believe in yourself," he instructed her with a certain calmness in his voice.

Lyanna narrowed her eyes and watched the wick of the candle for a moment. Inside her mind she pictured it catching fire, but it didn't happen in front of her.

"Don't think too much. It looks like you're hurting yourself," he joked with a laugh. Lyanna felt his hands lightly touch her shoulder, but it almost felt as if feathers were falling on the back of her shoulder instead of a hand. It was surprising how soft the hand of a servant could be. Well, he hadn't been a servant for long and he was already sacked. "Relax and it will come to you."

It was difficult to relax because Lyanna felt the pressure weighing on her. She drew in a sharp breath through her mouth and tried to concentrate once more. Then the wick caught fire and the flame began to dance.

"I did it!" Lyanna exclaimed cheerfully from pure happiness. This was the first time that she had used magic herself, and it felt incredible.

"You sure did," Merlin responded impressed, with a large grin. "Now you need to practice this as often as you can. "Your powers are new to you and need to be developed. I will gladly help you with that. After all my powers aren't that strong as well. We can practice together."

She turned her head and their gazes met. "Thank you, Merlin. I never knew that having magic could feel this wonderful," she said gratefully. "Now we need to find out how to make the snakes come alive. I suppose that it's going to be an animation spell," Lyanna suggested wisely and they looked back at the book.

Merlin's eyes lightened up as he stopped fluttering through the book after a few minutes, and opened it before them. His long finger flew across the page as he sat up straight, allowing Lyanna to peer over his shoulder to see what he was pointing to. "_Berbay odothay arisan quicken_," she read from the page hoping that she had pronounced it right. This was after all the first time that she had ever read a spell book or a spell out loud.

"That's it," Merlin agreed with her as he focused on the statue in the middle of his chamber, and articulated clearly as he said the spell towards the statue. A few seconds he waited until he realized that nothing had happened, and that he tried it again.

Together they both tried to pronounce the spell on all sorts of different tones in the hope that one of them would finally found the right way to say it. Hours passed and it was already after nightfall by the time that Lyanna was yawning uncontrollably as she watched Merlin continuing to try and figure it out.

"Try and get some sleep," Lyanna after more hours had flown by. It was the middle of the night and she was able to hear Gaius steady snoring coming from the room beside them. "You're going to pass out eventually if you keep going like this. And I want to prevent you from an ugly bump."

Merlin turned to face her as he sat down her on his bed. His summer blue eyes met her hazel ones. In the dim light of the candle she was able to see a spark in his eyes. "I just want this to work out. We cannot let Valiant get away with this," he sulked.

"You will find a way," she soothed. "I'm sure of it."

Merlin spent at least another half hour trying to pronounce the spell right to make it work while Lyanna watched him. She was seated on the ground beside the statue. Eventually her eyes fell shut and she slowly fell forwards onto his lap as sleep caught up with her.

Merlin gently brushed a strand of her golden hair out of her face and observed her face. The shadows of the flames were dancing on the porcelain skin of her face, making her look even fairer. She looked so peaceful, as if all the troubles had disappeared. He grabbed a spare cover from his closet and tugged the princess underneath it to keep her warm. He tried to pronounce the animation spell for a while until he eventually fell asleep in his bed.

The next morning Lyanna woke up when she heard someone softly smacking its lips. Slowly, she opened one of her hazel eyes and tried to adjust to the light in the room and realized that this wasn't her chamber. But that it was Merlin's room. She was lying in a corner in the room and carefully stood up to not wake up Merlin up who was still fast asleep according to his regular breathing. She walked on the tip of her toes as he left his room. Gaius was seated at the table and was busy with mixing some potions together. He looked up from it when he saw the princess of Camelot standing before her.

"Lady Lyanna," he gasped perplexed. "What are you doing here?"

Lyanna smiled faintly as she nervously fiddled with her mother's necklace. "I uhm… I was here last night to work on the spell with Merlin, which didn't work out unfortunately. Anyway I fell asleep and just woke up. I decided to get back to my chamber before anyone misses me. Good bye, Gaius."

Before the court physician could respond the princess had already walked out of the chamber, making as little sound as possible. Her heart was pounding hysterically and she hoped that she wouldn't bump into someone on her way back to her chamber.

Unfortunately luck wasn't on her side and she bumped into Arthur before her chamber door. "Lee," he muttered astonished as she saw who it was that had nearly knocked him over. "What happened? You look as if you didn't sleep in your bed last night."

"I was having some trouble with falling asleep last night," Lyanna lied flatly feeling guilty as soon as the words rolled over her lips. She realized that she was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and that her hair looked like a disaster. Maybe Arthur was thinking the worst of her. "I decided to go on a walk through the forest in the hope to clear my mind."

Arthur seemed to believe her words. He was already wearing his armour for the final. "I'm sorry to hear that, dear sister. I hope that you feel better now. I was on my way to the training ground to prepare myself for the final…"

His eyes met hers. "I'm sorry for snapping at you yesterday. I wish you all the luck in the world," Lyanna said truthfully as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "No matter what happens, I am proud of you. Do remember that."

Arthur didn't hesitate for a second, and returned her embrace. "I will never forget it," he promised her hopefully. "Your support means more to me than words can express."

Lyanna always felt better whenever she would hug her brother. Over the years that had become a habit of both of them, which never went away. For that she was most grateful. The bond between them was very strong indeed and she didn't want to change it for anything in the world.

"Good luck, Arthur," she said with a whisper as she slowly let go off him. "I must get dressed. I will be there in time to cheer for you." With those words the young witch turned around, walked into her chamber and closed the door behind her.

With Marie's absence she decided to get dressed into something easy because she wasn't in the mood to put much effort in her outfit. She picked out a sky blue dress with short sleeves and a golden belt. She weaved her hair into a simple braid to the right side, and placed a silver flower circlet on the top of her head. Lyanna picked a silver cloak from a chair and hurried out of her chamber. She was heading towards the exit of the castle when she saw Marie walking towards her. Her brown hair was tied together in a messy bun. "Where were you? When I came to your chamber I found your bed to be empty and not to be slept in. What happened, Milady?"

Lying to Marie was impossible, because she was able to see straight through it. "I was helping Merlin with thinking of a way to expose Valiant, when I fell asleep on Gaius' cot. I woke up briefly ago and hurried back here, in the hope that no one would find out, but apparently I'm too late," she said, speaking only half of the truth.

Marie met her gaze, and exhaled deeply before she spoke. "Well, I'm relieved to see that you're doing well. We should get the tournament before people are going wonder where you are. Especially your father…" her voice trailed off.

"You're right," Lyanna agreed, hooking her arm with that of her servant. "We don't want people to wait for us, now do we? In the meantime you can tell me everything that I've missed."

It had gone rather chilly by the time that Lyanna was seated beside her father and Marie. She was keeping herself warm inside her silver cloak, not wanting to spend the entire final shivering like a frightened rat.

With every passing minute the princess noticed that she grew more anxious. There still wasn't any sign of Merlin and the hope to stop Valiant from using magic was shrinking. Maybe she could try to use the animation spell herself, doing her best not to draw any attention to her. It would damper today's feast if she would get caught using magic by the King. But she could never do it. Her magic was too weak. A strong spell like that was too strong for her.

"Are you alright, Milady?" Marie asked concerned. "You look troubled."

Lyanna turned to face her friend and smiled meekly. "I'm just worried about what Valiant can do, and I fear the worst for Arthur," she admitted truthfully, not liking the feeling of being so vulnerable. Yet she had always showed that side of herself to her.

Marie grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm sure that Arthur is going to be alright. He couldn't ask for a bigger support than you. He's in good hands, Milady," she assured, giving her a warm smile.

The friendship with her servant was very important to her, and Lyanna valued her company enormously. Sometimes she needed the reassuring words of her friend to be able to make it through the day.

"Thank you, Marie. I don't know what I would do without you," she said gratefully. Her eyes lingered to the side when she saw Morgana, who gave her a smile in return. Lyanna return the smile and focused her attention to Valiant entering the arena, carrying his shield in his hands. A feeling of suspicion washed through Lyanna, who immediately got alert.

It didn't take long for Arthur to enter the arena, wearing the hood of his chainmail on his head. She could see the concern in his eyes and prayed that he wouldn't give attention to it. He needed to be strong. Especially now.

The fight started after the knights had put on their helmets and had taken their battle positions. They both started to swing with their swords like maniacs, trying to prove everyone of what they were worth.

Lyanna was fidgeting with her fingers as she watched to battle bellow her. Never before had she been this nervous, and wanted something to do about it. Yet she had no idea what to do because the spell didn't work for her.

A few minutes past like this while she was sitting on the edge of the chair observing the moves of the knights until she felt a strong presence. It took her less than a second to figure out who it was. Merlin.

Just as she had predicted Merlin was standing in the exit of the arena. Their gazes met briefly which brought a smile upon Lyanna's lips. Seeing him here surely gave her some hope.

The fight went on, and Arthur managed to swing the helmet of Valiant's head and took his own helmet off himself. The crowd exploded with excitement. Before Lyanna could blink with her eyes Valiant had knocked Arthur on the ground and was striking with his sword to him, but Arthur was fast enough to dodge the attack.

He was standing on his feet again, and the battle continued. Lyanna was able to see Merlin extending his hand, and hearing him say; "_Berbay odothay arisan quicken."_ As if he was standing right beside her. The snakes on Valiant's shield came alive and everyone rose from their chairs. There was no way that someone could believe in his innocent anymore. Merlin had done it!

"He's using magic!" She heard her father gasp in astonishment beside her. "You were indeed telling the truth, my daughter."

Unfortunately Arthur was unarmed when Valiant gave the snakes the command to kill him. Morgana was the fastest to think and threw a sword to him. Arthur easily beheaded the snakes, and managed to stab the blade in Valian't stomach in one smooth motion. The knight fell onto the ground. He was dead.

Of course Lyanna was proud of what Arthur had accomplished, but even prouder of what Merlin had done. He had saved Arthur's life… just like he was meant to.

Lyanna was still wearing the same clothes as she had done that morning when she walked through the banquet hall that was filled with guest for the feast that night, but she had replaced the circlet she was wearing into a golden crown that she had inherited for being the princess of Camelot. The only times when she was supposed to be wearing it, was when there were some royal accessions.

"My honorable guest," Uther announced loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. "I give you Prince Arthur, your champion."

Everyone in the room started to clap as Arthur entered the throne room wearing a golden crown similar to hers, with the armour he was wearing during the tournament. He walked to Morgana, who had the privilege to be escorted by him because he had one, and hooked arms with her. Together they walked through the room sharing smiles with everyone that came to celebrate with him.

As he walked Lyanna made her way over to Merlin who was standing beside the court physician. "Merlin. Gaius," she greeted and bowed her head slightly to them. "I wanted to thank you with what you've done today. What you did was surely admirable."

Merlin cheeks flushed crimson making him look even more adorable than he already did. "I uhm – thank you. I've spend a little while practicing while you were gone, and eventually had a dog sitting in my room. It was very odd. Anyway I came to the arena as fast as I could, Milady." She noticed that he was only addressing her by her titles whenever there were other people around. He had been paying attention and knew that she preferred to be called by her first name.

"Well, you came there precisely on time. I'm grateful for that. And I was wondering if you wanted to teach me what you've discovered while I was gone."

He nodded nervously. "Sure. No problem. You're welcome to come by whenever."

Just like that Arthur walked over to them. "Can you believe Morgana? She said she saved me," he muttered with disbelieve. "Like I needed saving."

Lyanna's gaze hastily met that of Merlin before she spoke, "Well you did needed saving. Lucky enough Morgana thought fast when she handed you the sword. You're just too stubborn to admit that," she responded with a sheepish grin. "No worries. You did fight amazing today. I'm proud of you."

Arthur narrowed his eyes, knitted his eyebrows together and slightly pouted his lips before he burst into laughter and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Luckily enough I love my sister enough not to listen to her when she speaks rubbish," he teased back while Lyanna dramatically rolled with her eyes in return. He then turned to face Merlin. "I wanted to say I made a mistake. It was unfair to sack you."

Merlin's face lightened up and he smiled, which quickly faded. "Well don't worry about it. Buy me a drink and we'll call it even," he suggested amusingly.

"Eh – I can't really be seen buying drinks for my servant," he slightly protested. _Did this mean he got his job back?_

Apparently Merlin thought the same thing. "Your servant? You sacked me."

"Now I'm rehiring you," Arthur simply answered shrugging with his shoulders. Both Merlin and Lyanna smiled with content. Everything was turning out alright after all. "My chamber is a mess, my clothes need washing, my armour needs repairing, my boots need cleaning, my dog's needs exercise, my bed needs changing, and someone needs to muck out my stables."

Lyanna slapped her brother on the back off his head. "And you need to stop bossing around and buy him a drink to make up for your mistakes," she told him. Arthur stared at her as if he has just seen water burning before his eyes. "Now, Arthur Pendragon."

It worked and the prince of Camelot hastily maneuvered his way across the room to get a drink. Merlin watched him for a second before his gaze met hers. "Wow. I guess that I need to say thank you."

Lyanna made a face at him. "He may have won the tournament, and you may be the hero of the day while you get no credit for it, but I'm still the one that he listens to. So I guess that kind of makes it my day doesn't it?" she explained to him until they both burst into laughter.

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**Badumtss well that's all about knight Valiant. ****Please review! :)**


	4. The Mark of Nimueh

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Thank you **Bluegreen216 **for your review! I completely agree with you. Valiant isn't my favorite episode as well. But thank you :)

**A/N-** I also appreciate everyone who has added this story to their alerts or as its favorites. It would be useful if I got some reviews from you lovely readers so I know what you think about it :) Also I decided to upload the next chapter sooner than I intended to. Please bare with me while I write the following chapter because they take ages to write. I hope to update next week.

**Please enjoy this long chapter :)**

**- x Milou Lilly**

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**Chapter four: The Mark of Nimueh**

A couple of weeks had gone by since the tournament. Lyanna had spent as much time as she could with Merlin trying to practice some magic, without making anyone suspicious. He would come to her chamber after nightfall, or she would go to his. Gaius was aware of their lessons and was supporting it in the best way that he could. So far she had learned the basic spells, and was able to do some simple tricks without saying a word. She had accidentally set fire to a curtain in Merlin's chamber, which she had put out so easily by using magic. They had laughed after that.

Other than that she had spent a lot of time training with the knights to keep in shape. But that was all that she could do. She could never become a knight if she wanted it to. She had accepted that.

It was late in the evening when Lyanna was wandering through the woods, holding Lumiere's reins. She had made it to her favorite secluded place near the river with the fast current. Lumiere was nibbling on some twigs while the princess was seated on the mossy rock and tried to use some magic. A grin crept on her face when she managed to throw a rock into the river by only using her mind. Those lessons sure were working, but she knew that she needed to learn a lot more before she would become a skilled sorcerers. Perhaps she could one day use her magic to heal others.

In the middle of the clearing stood a large black wolf, which howled at the cresting moon in the sky. Unmasked fear filled her eyes as she looked into the wolf's golden eyes. As she held her breath and waited for what happened, the wolf sat down before her, his muzzle pressed against her legs.

Confused, Lyanna raised her hand to stroke through its charcoal fur. It looked as if it was feeling at ease she carefully petted him, as if it was the most normal cause in the world. For an unknown while Lyanna stood there until the sound of something rustling in the bushes scared the wolf away, and it disappeared between the trees. Within seconds Merlin stepped into the clearing, his blue eyes filled with doubt.

"Merlin," Lyanna greeted uncertainly. "What are you doing here?"

"I uhm –" he started nervously. "The King had sent out a search party when you didn't show up at dinner. Arthur instructed me to join them. As the knights rode into an opposite direction, I came here because you mentioned this place to me and I thought that you had come here to think. Then I found you with this wolf. Are you alright?"

She stared at him for a couple of seconds before she exhaled deeply. "Yes, I'm quite alright. I don't know how that happened," she replied honestly and sat down on the fallen log. She still felt a bit flushed about it. Merlin followed her example in silence. "But once the wolf lay down against me it felt so at ease. It was odd, but also seemed very natural."

"Yes, it's odd indeed. I've never seen a wolf come this close to a human before. They mostly stay away. You shouldn't put too much thought into it," he suggested wisely.

A smile touched her pink lips. "You're right, Merlin. It must be nothing."

For an unknown while they sat there together, talking about random things like they always did. Suddenly Merlin leaped onto his feet. "We should go," he supplied, sounding frantic. "Everyone was already worried about your absence. It would be wise to get you home."

She smiled at him as she whistled on her fingers and Lumiere trotted onto the clearing within seconds. He had run away when the wolf had shown up. "Let's go then," Lyanna responded cheerfully, grabbing the reins as she followed the warlock through the forest.

As soon as they had returned to Camelot the princess had retreated into her chambers while Merlin informed Arthur and the King that she had returned. Of course he couldn't tell the truth, so he lied to them that she had lost her way during a ride which they believed and they left her alone to rest.

That night she dreamt of nothing. It was still early in the morning when Lyanna was looking out of the window at the town below her. She was wearing a long velvet purple dress, with long V shaped sleeves, and a golden belt. Her long blonde hair was hanging loosely and framed her heart shaped face.

Arthur had told her that their father has asked for Gaius' presence, and if she could fetch him. Lyanna opened the door of the court physician and doubtfully entered the quarter, not sure why she was here. Gaius was standing in the middle of the chamber with Merlin, while they were looking at a body that was lying on the cot.

"Did Arthur send you here because I'm late?" Merlin guessed once that he got aware of her presence. "I'm so sorry –"

She shook her head. "No, that's not why I'm here. What happened?" She took a closer look at the lifeless body before her.

"I've never seen anything like this before," Gaius muttered as he was examining the body with magnifying glass. Lyanna noticed that the skin of the body had turned purple, and that the eyes had turned white. Whatever it was it sure looked horrible. It didn't look like a natural cause to her, but she wasn't a physician. Therefore her opinion didn't count much.

"Do you think that it can be some kind of plague?" Merlin asked puzzled.

"No, something like this can never come out of nature," Gaius responded. "But who has this kind of power?"

Lyanna felt her body slightly stiffed. "Are you saying that it could be magic?" She already feared for the answer. It would explain the way that the body looked.

"It could be. I can't tell for certain," Gaius supplied hesitantly, standing up as his eyes linger to her. "You didn't come here just to chat, now did you?"

He surely knew her better than she thought he did. "No, I came here because I was send by Arthur. My father wants to speak with you right away," she remembered correctly. "He didn't say why though." Gaius nodded understandingly and went to grab his medicine bag while Lyanna noticed a small purple flower in Merlin's neck scarf. "Did Gwen give you these?" She had occasionally seen the maid wandering through the palace carrying flowers. It wasn't a rare sight. Her father normally gave those to her to brighten up her day. She only saw it as a lovely gesture.

He hastily grabbed the flower out of his neck scarf. "Eh – yeah. I ran into her this morning when she gave me one," he explained nervously.

Lyanna smirked as she walked passed him, following Gaius out of the chamber. Sometimes it was so much fun to tease Merlin like that and she couldn't help herself. He knew that she meant no harm with it.

As they reached the council room they saw another body, which had the same color of skin as the one she had just seen before. Lyanna was standing between her father and her brother and was watching intently how Gaius examined the body.

"What happened?" Uther asked impatiently, not waiting for the physician to finish.

"I have no idea, Sire. This is the second case I've seen today," Gaius answered.

"Why didn't you report it to me?"

"I was attempting to find the course," he simply replied as he straightened himself, and stood beside his ward.

"Well, what did you conclude?" Uther asked impatiently.

"I didn't want to hurry to conclusions. A scientific process is a long one."

Lyanna had always admired the way that Gaius remained she placid even though Uther was behaving so rationally. If she was in his shoes she would certainly have lost her temper a few times already.

"What are you hiding?" Uther demanded to know.

"Sire, I have seen nothing like it. The victims are dying within twenty-four hours and its spreading fast," Gaius remarked.

"_What _is the cause?" the King continued. The thought of people dying fast in his Kingdom was frightening, and he wanted to do everything he could to prevent further deaths. Lyanna knew that her father possessed such kindness in his heart, but also that he wasn't too familiar with showing it. He hid his feelings behind a thick shell.

"I think you should say the cause… the most likely cause is… sorcery." There fell a silence in the throne room. This was just as Lyanna had feared. It didn't look like a plague at all. There was another sorcerer working in Camelot.

Uther immediately took Arthur apart, and said something to him which was impossible for Lyanna to hear because she was standing too far away. The only thing that she heard was, "Lend Gaius your servant. He can use all the help that he can get for finding a cure. If Gaius is right, believe me, the city will be wiped out."

"Father, let me help Gaius," Lyanna pleaded. She didn't want to watch how innocent people were dying while she couldn't do anything about it. If she could help Gaius there may be something she could do to prevent a further spread.

Uther turned around to face his daughter. "You? Are you sure that you want to do this, my dear?" he asked hesitantly. It wasn't very common for the royal family to assist commoners, but then again Lyanna was different than everyone else.

Lyanna nodded convinced. "I don't know what else I can do to help. You said that he could use all the help that he can get. Besides I've helped him several times and I know a thing or two about healing." As she looked into his eyes she hoped he would accept her request. This was the only chance she might get to study some more healing, which was something she had been wanting to do for quite some time. She simply wasn't the person to sit still and to nothing.

The King realized that what she said was right. "I know that you're very passionate about it. Very well," he said as looked at the court physician. "Gaius, Lyanna will be assisting you. Please look after her."

"I've always looked after her as if she's my own daughter, Sire," Gaius promised her, and was telling the truth. Whenever something was troubling her he had always been the first to notice. He had helped her so many times while her own father was too busy with keeping magic out of his kingdom. That seemed to convince Uther enough that he was alright with his daughter working as an apprentice of the court physician.

Lyanna had hooked her arm through that of Gaius on the left side, while Merlin did it on the right side, as they walked through the lower town. They saw Arthur sending guards to thoroughly search houses in the hope to find the source of the magic.

They had walked in silence for a little while now, while Lyanna was carrying the basket filled with all sorts of herbs that could help them, when Merlin spotted another person lying on the ground. "Look," he said. "He's still alive."

Lyanna and Gaius walked over to him, and saw how the color of his skin had changed purple and the color was fading out of his eyes. "I don't think there's anything we can do for him," Gaius stated sadly, even though he really wanted to.

"Well we haven't tried," Merlin protested, clearly not wanting to give up.

"If we don't know what the disease is then how can we cure him?" Gaius explained to him.

"You're not saying that it's your intention to use magic?" Lyanna guessed, her voice not much but a whisper. She didn't want to risk being exposed, especially now when they were hunting sorcery in Camelot. "If you use magic now you will certainly get caught."

Before Merlin could protest even more she grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him along with her as she followed Gaius who muttered, "Science will lead us to the source of the disease." Together they walked through the crowded streets on their way back to the castle. This had to be the way to solve it.

They had made their way back to the physician chambers where they looked through several books in the hope to find something about this mysterious disease. "Lyanna?" a gentle voice asked. Lyanna snapped back into reality and saw Merlin standing before her, his eyes looking friendly. "I've made you some tea."

"Thank you," she said gladly as she took over the damping mug from him and took a small sip from the tea. "This is raspberry. How did you know that this was my favorite?"

His lips curled up into a smile as he sat down opposite from her. "You told me that you liked it when you shared some details about yourself the first night you came here," he explained as if it was the most normal thing to remember such things.

"What else to you remember from that night?" she asked playfully as her hazel eyes met his summer blue ones.

Merlin didn't look that impressed by her sudden question, and chuckled before he spoke, "Your name day is near the end of spring, you enjoy archery, you don't like dishonest people or people that treat you as if you're different, you like raspberry tea, reading books or riding in the forest or teasing your brat of a brother, your favorite flowers are sunflowers and lavender, and your least favorite food is curly flower. Should I go on?"

Lyanna's jaw slowly felt open as she stared at him. "I guess that pretty much summed everything up about me. You surely paid attention that night. I don't remember that you said anything about yourself." She clasped her hands around the damping mug. During the time that she had got to know him she had wanted to know him better.

"I like reading, I secretly do enjoy being Arthur's manservant, I don't like being lied to or feeling useless, I'm from Ealdor a small outlaying village in Cendred's kingdom, I've never known my father, and –"

"Wait," Lyanna carefully interrupted, tilting her head. "You never knew your father?"

Merlin shook his head. "No. I've been living with my mother for eighteen years and she has never spoken of him. I was simply too afraid to ask her about him," he answered honestly. Lyanna could tell that talking about him was painful even though he tried to hide it, she was able to see it in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I've never met m mother as well," Lyanna admitted feeling tears stinging in her eyes. For years she hadn't spoken about her mother, and here she was talking about it to someone she had only known for more than a week. But for some reason it felt surprisingly easy to talk to Merlin.

"I'm also sorry to hear about that. But you have a family that loves you," he said hopefully as he grabbed her hand that was lying on the table and gently squeezed into it. Normally whenever someone did that it didn't felt as it did right now. It felt reassuring. She was glad that he had done it.

Their conversation was interrupted by Gaius who holding a small bottle with liquid above the fire which made both Lyanna and Merlin rose from their chairs. Lyanna carried the damping mug in her hands as she walked over to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked a bit confused. She had studied him several times while he was busy tending wounded people, but she had never encountered a liquid like that before.

"I'm examining the content of that men's stomach," Gaius explained, his attention focused on his work.

Merlin observed how the old man added more liquid into the bottle. "Will that tell you who did it?"

"Not exactly. It might tell us how it spread. One thing I do know. This is magic of the darkest kind," the court physician told them.

Lyanna felt a sudden cold stirring in her bones. She wondered why someone would hurt innocent people. "Why would someone use magic like that?" she asked, her voice cranky.

"Because magic corrupts. People use it for their own ends."

She cocked one of her eyebrows as she took another sip from her tea. "But not all magic is bad. We have it, but we don't have any desires to hurt others."

"It's neither good nor bad. Its how you use it," Gaius supplied gruffly.

Just before they could ask anything else the door swung open and a group of guards entered the chamber, followed by Arthur who had given them the order to search everywhere. "Sorry Gaius," Arthur apologized. "We're searching every room in town."

"What for?" Gaius wondered, not seeing why they would possibly find anything in his chamber.

"The sorcerer," Arthur stated as if it was obvious.

"Do you honestly expect to find it here?" Lyanna asked instead of the court physician. "These people are surely the nicest in town."

Arthur exchanged a look with his sister, not too pleased with her comment. "I'm just doing my work, Lyanna. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm here to assist Gaius and Merlin with trying to find out the course of why these people have died," she informed him taking another sip. "Don't worry. Father is aware that I'm here. He has given me blessings for it."

Arthur laughed mockingly. "Do you believe that you can be of any help?"

Lyanna didn't say anything but stuck out her tongue at her brother as he continued to give orders to look at certain places in the room. When Arthur was about to head towards Merlin's room she realized something, and rushed to the warlock's side. "What happened to that spell book Gaius has given to you?"

"Merlin," Arthur called from out of the room. "Look what I found."

Both sorcerers looked at each other in horror before they hurried after the prince into the other room. "I found a place where you can put things. It's called a cupboard," Arthur informed his servant, closing the door of the cupboard.

Lyanna had to do her absolute best to hold in her laughter when she saw the state of the room. There were clothes scattered everywhere and the sheets were pulled off the boot. The spell book was lying beside the bead, clearly in view.

"You sure are a klutz, Merlin," Lyanna agreed with her brother. The last time that she had been here it didn't look like this, but everything had been organized neatly. Yet she knew that she couldn't share that information when Arthur was here, or he would get assume that something was going on between them, and that was the last thing that she wanted.

Without saying a word Merlin managed to let the sheets off his bed fall onto the book to cover it seconds before Arthur kneeled down beside the bed to look underneath it. _Clever clot, _Lyanna thought. Arthur shook a few times with his head out of disgust before he walked out of the room. "Did you have a party last night?" Lyanna said out loud as soon as they were alone.

"I simply have forgotten to clean it up," Merlin explained, shrugging.

"I sure hope for your sake that you don't do the same with Arthur's room," she teased him with a grin before she walked out of the chamber followed by Merlin. Lyanna made her way over to Gaius and watched how the guards continue to search the chamber.

"How long do you think that it's going to take until you find a cure?" Arthur asked.

"It depends on how many interruptions I get," Gaius gruffly responded, showing how irritated he looked.

Lyanna spat out some of her tea, and started to cough when everyone looked at her. "Of course. I'm sorry," Arthur said as his gaze lingered through the room. "We're finished here."

With that all the guards exited the room and Gaius hastily shut the door behind them before he turned to look at Merlin, "We have to hide that book," he suggested, pacing through his chambers.

"No," Merlin disagreed. "We must use it."

"Don't be stupid," Gaius mocked.

"I have this legacy and what is it for. You keep telling me. It's not for playing tricks," Merlin declared wisely.

"I think you're right," Lyanna interfered placing the empty mug on the table. "We have to help these people."

"Do you two want to practice magic when the King is hunting for sorcerers?" Are you mad?" Gaius spat out with disbelieve. "You two are destined for more important things."

Sure, it sounded crazy, but what could they do. Innocent people were dying and the last thing that they wanted to do was nothing. These people needed help. "Yes, but if we don't practice than how will become these great sorcerers?" Merlin protested.

"There will come a time come a time when your skills will get recognized," Gaius told them, as he pointed at them with a spoon.

"How long do we have to wait?"

"Patience is a virtue, Merlin," he responded wisely.

"Sitting by and doing nothing, that's a virtue?"

Lyanna had to hide her smile behind her hand, not wanting to make this whole situation even more uncomfortable. It was already worse enough that she had to listen to it, and wasn't able to come up with a solution. Even if decided to use magic to cure ill people, hers simply wasn't strong enough.

"Your times will come," Gaius told them slowly so that he was certain that they had heard every word.

"We could cure that man we saw," Merlin supplied, not giving up so easily.

"I know it's tempting to use the way you find is easiest, Merlin."

"It is when we could save a life."

"It is no good saving one person. We have to discover how this illness is spreading," Gaius protested.

"Arthur is out there right now looking for the sorcerer," Merlin snapped, pointing with his trembling finger.

"A sorcerer who is powerful to do this will never be found," Lyanna came between them, in the hope to bring them to reason. "I want to help those people as badly as you do, but we cannot use magic. It pains me to say this, Merlin, but let's hope that science can find an answer before it kills us all." She had completely changed her minds after hearing Gaius wise words. It was too risky to use magic.

Standing up against Merlin was extremely painful, and it felt as if her heart was being ripped to pieces when she saw that look in his eyes as if she had let him down. She wanted to use magic with him to help those people, but she couldn't risk getting caught when Arthur was out there looking for people using enchantments. It was too dangerous.

As soon as Gaius continued to examine the bottle she turned to face Merlin who was looking more frustrated than she had ever seen him. "I'm sorry," she apologized with a weak whisper. "I just don't hope that you're mad at me."

He seemed to loosen up a bit. "I'm not angry at you," he assured her, which lifted some weight off her shoulder. "I just don't want watch hopelessly how more people are dying."

"I'm sure that we you will find a way to stop this," Lyanna told him. "I believe that you will."

A couple of hours had passed while examining the man's stomach didn't result to anything. Lyanna had tried to help Gaius in the best way that she could, but her knowledge about healing wasn't too impressive. Another body was being brought into the chamber, suffering from the same things as the other ones did. It was placed on another table as they all stood around it in the hope to notice something.

"What is different about this victim?" Gaius asked out loud as he paced around the body.

"She's a woman," Merlin stated simply.

"Sometimes I do wonder whether your magic talents were given to the right person," Gaius mocked causing Lyanna to giggle. Only he could come up with a comment like that. "Anything else?"

"I recognize her," Lyanna gasped after the noticed the features of the woman. "I've seen here plenty of times whenever there is a Royal Court. This means that she seldom goes down into the lower town."

"What does that mean?" Gaius wanted to know.

"That she doesn't have spoken to any other town's people," Merlin came up with.

Gaius didn't look too convinced. "Lyanna is much wiser than you are, Merlin," he complimented the princess who didn't even seem to have noticed it because she was too busy with looking at the woman. "The disease does not spread through by contact."

"And they probably eat different food," Merlin added.

"Good. Anything else?"

"They don't breath the same air, which means that the only possibly way that the disease could spread is through water," Lyanna filled in for him.

"You two are wonder children. Prodigies," Gaius said impressed as he walked away to grab a bucket for Merlin, who rushed out of the door followed by Lyanna. Together they walked through the corridor until they excited the castle.

A soft breeze played with Lyanna's long locks and the skirt of her purple dress. It felt as if she was carrying a heavy stone in her stomach when she saw the innocent people suffering in the streets of Camelot. They had done nothing to deserve such a faith. "Some of these people had their whole lives ahead of them," Lyanna declared with sadness dripping off her voice. "It's awful."

While Lyanna was watching how Merlin pumped water into the bucket, Lyanna noticed the body of a young woman lying beside them. She felt a stone in her stomach as she looked down at her and recognized the shape of her nose and strong jaw. It was Marie. Her skin had colored purple and her eyes were white and still. The life had faded from her. Her friend was dead.

Not wanting to believe it Lyanna pulled Marie into her arms in the hope that she would wake up when she pulled her against her chest, but it didn't happen. Tears roamed freely from her cheek and landed in Marie's brown hair. Lyanna felt heartbroken and empty, but she kept whispering her friend's name. She hadn't seen Marie all day, but she had no idea that she had gotten ill.

Merlin sat down beside her and reassuringly placed his hand upon Lyanna's shoulder. "You've got to let her go, Milady. She's gone. There is nothing you can do for her," he carefully told her with the fear of hurting her even more.

More sobs were heard from Lyanna's chest. _She's gone. _She thought about Marie's younger sister Lucy who had to live her entire live without her big sister watching over her. And her parents. They had lost their first child… Lyanna couldn't imagine the pain that would fail once this news would reach them. She had to tell them.

"Lyanna, please I'm begging you. You cannot sit here all day. She's not going to come back," Merlin tried to make her realize. His words hit like a strong blow to the face. She knew that Marie wouldn't come back to her, but the thought of losing her closest friend was terrifying. She didn't want to live without her. She would never hear her sweet laughter again, or hear her advice.

"I—I," her voice creaked. Lyanna tried to find the right words to say. "I need to tell her parents about what happened. They deserve to know. She is… was my friend I mean." Nothing was more painful than the change from _is_ to _was_. The sign that you're really dead. "This is the last thing that I can do. Oh, they're going to be so devastated." The thought already brought tears back to her eyes, but she tried to blink them away. Lyanna pressed a kiss against Marie's forehead which felt surprisingly cold before she stood up with her maid in her arms. All the years of training had made the princess strong and she was eager to carry her back towards her home.

"I'll come with you," Merlin offered. "You won't have to face them alone." He was willing to carry Marie in her place, but Lyanna refused to let go off her friend.

Together they walked through the streets of houses until they reached a small house near a seclude lane. Merlin knocked on the door while Lyanna exhaled deeply. This was the moment that she had to tell some people that one of their children had perished.

The door swung open and Marie's father Edward stood before them. When he caught sight of his daughter's limp body in the princess arms they saw all the color fade from his face. Apparently his wife Odyn was still at work at the palace.

"I—I'm so sorry," Lyanna cried and broke down again. "I found here by the water pomp like that. There was nothing that we could do about it. I wish I could've helped. Marie meant a great deal to me. She's was my best friend."

Edward cried softly and carefully took his daughter's body over from Lyanna. He carried her inside the small house and placed her on the cot in the corner. By now Marie's sister Lucy had joined them and was looking at her.

"Is she sleeping?" the girl asked not knowingly what was going on. No one blamed her. She was only six years old after all. Edward's sobs grew louder.

Lyanna kneeled down beside Lucy and pulled the girl onto her lap. "Marie is in a deep sleep indeed," she told her, wanting to tell her what happened in the best way that she could.

"Can we wake her up? She had promised me that she would tell me a story when she had finished her work?"

Lyanna chewed on her bottom lip and her eyes briefly met those of Merlin, who gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm afraid that she will not wake up. Marie is another place. She was needed elsewhere. A place filled with beautiful angels. Here she'll wait for you until you'll be needed as well. Which will not be for many long years."

Lucy's big brown eyes looked up at the princess. "But doesn't she know that I need her as well?" she asked softly.

"She does know that. Marie told me how important you are to her many times. Sometimes she wouldn't even be quiet about you," Lyanna said, smiling faintly at the thought. Lucy giggled softly. "But Marie didn't have another choice. You mustn't forget that you'll meet her again one day."

"Lucy," Edward interfered, his voice shaking slightly. "Can you run to the castle and find your mother? Tell her that she has to come home." Lucy nodded understandingly and gave Lyanna a big smile before she ran out of the house.

Lyanna rose again and looked down at her friend's body. "Marie often told me she gave the money that she earned as being my servant to you two to help you out. I know now that she's fallen out you're going to miss money that you cannot afford to miss, therefore I want to help. I'm offering to financially support you and your family. I would be giving you enough so that one of you can stop working so that Lucy doesn't have to be alone. She needs her parents. Especially now."

Edward's bloodshot eyes met those of Lyanna's. "Marie always said how kindly you treated her. I want you to know that she saw you as a good friend as well, Milady. She was happy to be your servant. But I cannot accept your offer –"

"I'm not giving you an option. I'm going to give it nonetheless," Lyanna objected.

He nodded understandingly. "I don't know how we can thank you, Milady."

"There is no need for that. Life is going to be rough from now one without your daughter. I know mine sure will be. But I want to help out," Lyanna said determined. "Unfortunately I need to go now. If there is ever anything that you require please don't hesitate to ask me. I'll do whatever I can. Right now I can only wish you all the strength in the world that you need." Her throat hurt as if sand was scraping down her throat. Edward thanked her from the bottom of his heart once more while Merlin and Lyanna left the small house.

The walk back to the physician chamber went in silence. Merlin wanted to say something several times but he didn't know how to put his thoughts into words. He thought that she preferred some silence at the moment, so he kept his lips pressed together.

When they entered the physician chambers they found a slightly confused and stunned Gaius who was busy pouring a sample of water into an empty phial and placed a flower into it. "What happened?" Merlin asked concerned.

"Gwen's father also has the sickness. She stormed into the room begging me to help him," Gaius explained. Lyanna felt her body tense. _Not another one. _She couldn't bear losing more people. This sickness had to be stopped. "Let's hope this provides answers."

Lyanna sadly shook with her head, as a single tear slid down her cheek. "That'll be too late for Tom."

Gaius looked to the girl solemnly. "I fear you are right."

As Lyanna was staring out in front of her she noticed Merlin heading towards his chamber and quietly followed him without disturbing Gaius. She found him sitting on his bed, with his head leaning in the palm of his hands. He looked so out of element and so lost.

She slowly made her way over to him and sat down beside him. A few minutes went by in silence while Lyanna fidgeted with her fingers and listened to Merlin steady breathing before she spoke, "I wish that we could do something to help Tom for Guinevere's sake." She knew that Gwen only had her father left. They couldn't let her lose that.

Merlin drowsily looked up at her, snapping out of his thoughts. "There's nothing that I can think of that can cure him besides magic, but that isn't permitted," he stated gruffly.

"Unfortunately not," Lyanna replied with a sigh. "It's horrible to have all these powers that make it possible to heal people, but you're not allowed to use it."

"I just wish that we don't have to hide anymore," Merlin admitted speaking openly about his feelings. This was the first time he actually did, and Lyanna was appreciating that he trusted her. "Sometimes I just want to run away and live somewhere in the middle of the woods by a gigantic lake, overlooking the mountains."

"That sounds beautiful," she said dreamily as she imagined what he had described. "I've been outside the forest before, but not without some knights to escort me. My father makes sure of that. I rarely leave Camelot. The only times when I do is when I go riding with my father, on a patrol or on a hunting trip. I guess that doesn't really count."

"No, it does not," he agreed with her as his lips curled up. "We should leave Camelot together. I can show you everything that you've dreamed of seeing which lies beyond the borders. In fact we can leave right now and never return."

Lyanna chuckled amusingly. "The idea of running away from Camelot with you sure is tempting. I've thought about leaving plenty of times. Yet now I know that I have a duty to fulfill, and I cannot possibly leave behind everyone who I care about. Especially now in these times," she slightly protested.

They were silent for a little while as they both stared at one another. It was weird how even a silence like this didn't even felt uncomfortable at all. For some reason they both felt at ease.

"When did you start to notice that you had magic?" Lyanna suddenly asked breaking the silence.

"I was able to move objects with my mind before I could walk," Merlin admitted truthfully. "My mother wasn't sure what to do about that, but did her absolute best to keep it a secret from others. I grew up happily nonetheless, but I never really belonged there."

Lyanna looked at him. "Perhaps that was because you belonged elsewhere," she said, her voice filled with hope.

That night Lyanna had spent most of the night sitting in a chair and staring out of the window, and the rest tossing and turning in her bed. Sleep wouldn't come to her. Everything that she closed her eyes she saw Marie's lifeless body lying in her arms while the unknown disease continued to spread through Camelot. Taking more lives.

Without anyone to talk about it she spent her time in silence, lost in her own thoughts. The night went by slowly and by the time the first sunrays shined down upon Camelot she felt even worse. Normally Marie was there to wake her up in the morning, but now there was nothing. Only silence.

The courtyard was filled with a lot of bodies from people who had died from the unknown disease during the night. There were more of them that she dared to count. Whatever this disease was it sure spread fast.

Gwen entered her chamber not long after that, looking much better than she did the other day. "Gwen," Lyanna exclaimed, relieved to see Morgana's servant. "What are you doing here? I thought that you were with your father."

"He's feeling fine," she answered happily. "This morning I woke up and he was looking better."

Lyanna raised one of her eyebrows. _How was it possible that one person got cured, while the others past away? _There was only one person who could do something like that, and she was already planning to confront that person. "I'm so happy to hear that, Gwen," she said gratefully as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "But shouldn't you be with him instead of being here? I'm sure Morgana doesn't mind your absence."

Gwen shook her head as she let go off her. "There's no need for that. He is going back to his work already. I also came here because I've heard about what happened to Marie. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to hear that." Lyanna felt her chest tighten. "In fact it was Morgana who came to me with the question if I could also be your servant since you don't have one at the moment. I know I cannot replace Marie, nor do I have the intention to do so. I just want to help, Milady."

"I know you do, Gwen," Lyanna replied and pulled her into her arms once more. "It's alright. If you want to be my servant as well you're more than welcome to be that. I'll just let you know that I want to do as much as I can by myself, so I may not require your service all the time. But I'm sure you've got lots to do since you need to look after Morgana as well." Gwen smiled as she let go off her. "I'm glad that you're here."

"So am I, Milady."

While Gwen went to help Morgana out Lyanna fled to the secret garden near the west wall of the city. When she and Arthur were five years old they had built it there to get away from the people. Their father had spent much time looking for them, but had never been able to trace them down. It was their place away from everything.

Lyanna sat down on a log and looked at the small pond that was buried before her. She still remembered clearly how Arthur had dug that all those years ago. Several different flowers surrounded her and the small of fresh flowers hung in her nose. But it was pleasant.

She heard footsteps behind her in the moist ground. Without having to look up who it was, Lyanna knew that it was her brother. He sat down beside her without saying a word and pulled her into his arms. His hands went through her blonde hair while her tears made stain into his white tunic.

"Merlin told me what happened with Marie. I know she was your best friend," Arthur carefully said, not wanting to break her. Lyanna was definitely the strongest and bravest person that he knew, and she rarely cried. "I'd hoped that I would find you here."

She told him what that had happened today and what she had offered Marie's parents. Arthur could only look at impressed at her. "You've handled that very well, dear sister. I'm sure the pain will fade within time and you'll be able to give it a place."

Shortly after that Arthur had to leave again to continue his search for the source of this magical disease that was spearing through Camelot. Lyanna remained behind in their garden, throwing small rocks into the pond.

Hours later Lyanna made her way back to the castle and she ran into a frantic Morgana in the hallway. "They are accusing Gwen for possessing magic because her father has gotten better!" the King's ward cried in protest, stomping with her feet.

There was only one person who could've been responsible for healing Tom, which may have caused that everyone would suspect Gwen. Lyanna snapped back into reality and followed Morgana towards the council room. Gwen was forced to the floor at Uther's feet. The King acknowledged his son. "Well done."

"I didn't do anything," Gwen kept repeating. "Why won't anyone believe me? He just got better."

"We believe you." Lyanna entered the room followed by Morgana, her rage over her servant's arrest clear. "Maybe the disease isn't always fatal? Maybe Tom recovered naturally? Have you considered that?" she reasoned, standing at Gwen's side.

"How do you explain the poultice we found in his house than?" Uther countered before turning his attention back to his suspect. "Undo this enchantment. Put an end to this contagion," he ordered.

Gwen looked at a loss. "I can't! I am not a witch!"

"Then you leave me no choice. I can show you no mercy. If you will not undo your sorcery, you force my hand and I must find you guilty," Uther declared, ignoring the girl's protests at the accusation. "It is therefore my duty to pronounce judgment. And under the circumstance I have no choice but to sentence you to death." Guinevere gaped at him in horror. "I can only hope that when you die, this evil plague dies with you." Uther motioned for the guards to drag her to the dungeon as she continued to plead her innocence.

As soon as the doors closed, Arthur could tell that his father, Lyanna and Morgana were about to go at it again. "Guinevere is an innocent girl. She's our maid, not a sorceress! I know her," Lyanna declared as soon as the silence in the room was driving her insane, staring down her father.

"Have you ever seen a sorcerer? Believe me, they bear no mark. There is no evil in the eye," Uther retorted, pouring a glass of wine for himself.

Lyanna's face went emotionless at that. If he would only know the truth about her he would despise his own flesh and blood. Simply because he was blinded by his own hatred against magic. "I've seen the way she works. If she were a witch, why would she kneel every morning on a cold stone floor when he could make these things happen with the snap of his fingers? Like an idle king!" Morgana spat.

"You have no right!" Uther fumed, turning back to his ward.

Lyanna was lucky to have Morgana on her side, who wasn't afraid to speak openly about what she thought. She had always been like that, and the princess was mostly grateful for the girl's friendship. Especially now. "You have no right to cast judgment on her! You're sentencing the wrong person!"

"He's right, Father," Arthur finally spoke up. "You hear the word 'magic' and you no longer listen."

"You saw it yourself. She used enchantments," Uther responded.

"Yes, to save her sick father. That doesn't make her guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of, of kindness, of love, the other of evil. I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart," Arthur assured.

"I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. I have suffered at its hand. I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about him, he must die or the whole kingdom may perish."

"I know that witchcraft is an evil, father, but so is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King, and I don't know what kind of King I will be, but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I would wish to live in and it would be where the punishment fits the crime." Uther considered the words of his son.

"You're right," he agreed. "This girl has played with fire, and now she must die by fire." Uther took one last drink from his goblet before leaving his children and ward alone in the throne room.

Morgana paced out of the room with heavy steps, not fighting against her tears. Arthur turned to Lyanna, who was horrified by Uther's sentence. He shook his head. "I don't think that's what I said."

"You did all that you could," Lyanna sulked as she exhaled deeply. "Father's mind is clouded by his hatred for magic. He cannot think straight without it."

"I'm sorry, Lyanna," Arthur eventually said as he made his way over to his sister to wrap his arms around her. "I know you've just lost Marie and now you might also lose Gwen."

A single tear escaped from her eyes as a hundred thoughts tried to enter her mind. She knew that Gwen was innocent and didn't even possessed magic, but only didn't know how to prove it. Maybe Merlin and Gaius did.

Lyanna released herself out of his grasp. "Don't be, Archie. I need to talk to Gaius about something," she said to him. She didn't want to tell him that she was convinced to prove Gwen's innocence and that she had to confront someone.

"Alright. But as long as you come straight back to me when you want to talk. I'm here for you," he promised her, placing a kiss between her eyebrows.

She didn't say anything but gave him a simple nod before she picked up the skirt of her dress and ran out of the throne room. Within a couple of minutes she reached the chamber of the court physician and burst through the door.

"Lyanna!" Gaius exclaimed relieved, standing up from his chair. "Please sit down, my dear. I was already wondering when you would show up. I've already made you some tea."

Normally things like that would've caused her to ask questions, but this time she wasn't in the mood. Lyanna sat down beside Merlin who was looking downcast, while Gaius handed her a damping mug.

"How are you feeling?" the old physician asked her as he sat down on his chair opposite from them. "I've heard what happened to Marie and now to Gwen."

It took a few seconds before the princess said something, "Lost." Rain was pouring heavily against the window in the chamber, making their moods even more grim.

"I thought I was doing good," Merlin mumbled, changing the subject a little. "And that curing Gwen's father would help her. I thought I was saving a life. It seemed so simple."

"An easy solution is like a light in a storm, Merlin. Rush for it at your peril, for it may not always lead you to safe harbor," Gaius said to him.

Merlin nodded in agreement. "I can see that now."

"How many times have I warned you for the responsibilities of being a warlock?" Gaius asked as silence found its way into the room again. The only sound that was heard was the rain pouring against the window.

"There is no need to feel guilty, Merlin," Lyanna spoke out loud after taking a sip from the tea, feeling the warmth spreading inside her chest which made her feel a little better. "You did what you thought was just, and for that I can only admire you. I sat by and did nothing, while you saved Tom. Maybe we've could've saved Marie as well if we had known that she had gotten sick. I know that it didn't work out as you hoped that it would be, but you can't be blamed. I'm sorry for snapping at you before. That was wrong."

She saw how the end of her lips turned up into a faint smile before his summer blue eyes met hers. "We have to talk to Gwen." He stood up and so did Lyanna as they both stormed out of the door.

Together they walked down the dungeons, passing Morgana who was in tears. Lyanna wanted to talk to her, but she was running away. As they walked to the cell door Lyanna nodded at the guards so that they would give them some time. Gwen saw them and tried to walk to the door, but the chains around her wrist prevented her getting too close. "Thanks you two."

Merlin looked at her, confused. "What for?" He shrugged.

"For coming to see me."

Lyanna and Merlin both held in tears as she spoke, "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. It's not your fault. There's no point in crying about it." Gwen gave her a sad smile. Lyanna hated seeing her like this. This girl always reminded her of a ray of sunshine that brightened up everyone's mood as she entered the room. Now she looked empty. A ghost of the person she used to be.

"Gwen, I can't let this happen to you," Merlin slightly objected.

"Please, one thing. I mean, you don't have to but…" she stammered.

"What?"

"Remember me." Tears began to fall down Lyanna's and Merlin's face as they both shook with their head.

"You are not going to die. I will not let that happen. You're my friend, Gwen, and I cannot lose you," Lyanna admitted truthfully as she reached for her servant's hand. "We're going to get you out of here."

Gwen joined the crying. "I'm just grateful to have some amazing people who I can call my friends. Look after each other."

Of course Lyanna didn't want to leave Gwen behind, but the guards had come back to tell her that her time had finished. Apparently Uther had given them the orders to keep the time as minimum as possible because he believed her to be a sorceress. The princess stood up and gave one final look at Gwen before she turned and ran up the dungeon's stairway followed by Merlin.

The bitter taste of argument that Lyanna just had with Uther was still strong in her mouth as fluttered through a book in the physician quarters. After she had gone to the cells to talk to Gwen she hadn't seen Merlin anymore. He had left with a steady pace as if he had to do some urgent with great haste, and didn't want her around.

When she couldn't keep up with him she decided to go continue the search to find an answer for the disease that was spreading through Camelot, but still didn't have any luck. For a few hours she was seated there fluttering through a pile of books.

The door of the chamber swung open with a loud bang causing Lyanna to accidently use her magic. A bucket flew through the air and landed on the wall beside the door, inches away from Merlin's head.

"I'm sorry," the witch apologized frantic, rushing towards his side and grabbed his face in her hands to see if he was injured. "Did I hit you? Oh bollocks. I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It just happened!"

"I'm alright," he assured her with a faint smile before he walked passed her. "All that I want to say is that your brother is an idiot."

"You do know that insulting the prince is treason," Lyanna helped him remember before she faced the physician. "What happened?"

"Merlin thought that it would be wise to tell the court that he possessed magic so that they would release Gwen, and that he can take her place."

The already big eyes of the princess widened as they locked with the warlock. "You did what? Did you plan to get yourself killed? That is not the answer to this solution!" she couldn't believe that he was so reckless and that he had truly done such a foolish thing.

"Gwen is going to die for something I did. What else could I do?" Merlin asked, sulking. This was the only thing he thought that would free Guinevere.

Gaius rolled his eyes. "You don't prove her innocence by offering to jump into the flames. You do it by finding out what's causing the disease!" Merlin leaned against Gaius' workbench and crossed his arms.

"Well, one thing's for sure: Arthur isn't going to find it. He thinks he is so sharp! But even when I told him I was a sorcerer, he still couldn't see it."

"Sometimes, they're very hard to spot," Gaius pointed out.

Lyanna scoffed. "Maybe you should start wearing a pointy hat."

"I don't think that you'll find one big enough," Gaius mocked causing Lyanna to burst out into laughter. Gaius threw a leather bag to Merlin. "Anyway, forget that. If we're going to save Gwen, we have to find out what's contaminating the water."

The three of them made their way through the tunnels below the city to the water supply. Lyanna felt a wave of uneasiness, like she was being watched as they walked, but she dismissed it when they arrived at the water supply.

"Take a sample and we'll take it back to examine it." Gaius handed Merlin an empty phial. Reaching his hand in the water, he filled the phial and corked it. They all turned around to head back to the physician's chamber when suddenly, a large, black monster burst from the water and roared before submerging.

"What the hell was that?!" Merlin screamed, but was being pulled along by Lyanna and Gaius, who both didn't know what to say. The thought that a creature like that lived in the water supply brought shivers to the princess skin.

By the time they were back in the chamber looking through Gaius books for the creature that they had just seen, Lyanna found it. "There. An Afanc." She pointed to a drawing and read the caption. "A beast born of clay, and conjured up only by the most powerful sorcerer. Now we have to find a way to defeat it." She looked over to the shelves of books and knitted her brows. "But where?"

"That could take days. Gwen will be dead by then," Merlin protested as he followed her gaze to see the large pile of books. They would never find a solution in time.

"Do you have a better idea?" Gaius asked. Lyanna saw Merlin biting in his lip before he left the room without saying anything. "Don't worry about him, Lyanna. I'm sure that he knows what he's doing. Do you mind handing me some of those books, My dear?"

"Not a problem," she said as she handed him over a few books from the large piles that clouded the room. Lyanna grabbed a couple of books for herself and seated herself in the corner of the room as she started to flutter through the pages.

Together they sat there in silence for what felt like hours, while Gaius would hand her a cup of tea and something to eat, while they kept going. Lyanna was determined to find a solution to kill the beast, but didn't know where to look.

Her mind felt groggily after not doing anything else than reading pages. Gaius had gone out to look at some bodies that had been found, and she was there all alone when Merlin bursts through the door, and immediately rushed to the books that were scattered on the table.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Lyanna asked, closing the book that she was holding as she walked over to him.

Merlin looked up from the book he had picked up. "Looking for anything on elements. Do you know which one I'll find it in?"

"Well, most of them," she informed him, picking up some books she'd left on the floor. "The study of base elements is at the very heart of the scientific process." The only reason why she knew this was because she had just read about it somewhere.

Merlin groaned, slamming the book he was reading shut. "How will that help us stop the Afanc?"

"Well, the Afanc is a creature made from earth and water. That's two of the four base elements," Lyanna said remembering what Gaius had told about the creature.

Merlin jumped up. "Maybe the other two will destroy it!"

Lyanna nodded in agreement. Why hadn't she thought of that? "You'll want fire. Wind and fire. How did you find this out?"

"Erm...I just knew, you know? One of my powers," he lied, but Lyanna could see straight through it.

"What else did the Great Dragon tell you?" she asked smartly, noticing the smile on his lips that she had figured him out so easily.

"That… I am only one piece of a puzzle. The brighter piece, obviously. I know that you're one of those pieces, and I'm pretty sure that Arthur is the last piece."

Lyanna looked at him in silence while she tried to think of something that could solve everything. "Maybe Arthur can help us. I think that he's our best chance," she finally said. "Meet me in the courtyard. I will go convince him."

She didn't give him any time to argue, and hurried out of the chambers. Before she would see her brother she entered the chambers of the King's ward, who was standing before the window.

"They're taking forward Gwen's execution!" she cried, her voice filled with worry and fear. "We must do something."

"That is why I came here," Lyanna responded mysteriously. She told her about what she and Merlin had discovered about the Afanc.

Within seconds Morgana had clasped a cloak around her shoulder. "I will help," she assured her, smiling faintly. "We must save Gwen. We cannot let her die."

"Wait at the courtyard," she instructed her friend. "Merlin will be waiting for us. He shall show us the way."

She hurried out of her chambers and entered her brother's quarter and found him standing in the middle of the door. At the sound of the door closing her turned to face her.

"Lyanna," he greeted, putting on his brown coat. "Are you alright? For what do I own the pleasure?" It was something he always said whenever she would show up in his room.

"What happened here?" she asked bewildered, looking at the state of the room. There were plates and food rests scattered on the table. This was the first time that it had been such a clutter. Something had obviously happened.

Arthur pouted. "Merlin didn't come in today since he assisting Gaius. Well you would know about that since you're helping him as well. Is there any news?"

Her hazel eyes met his blue eyes, and she realized once again that they didn't share the same eye colors. Uther had told her that Lyanna looked more after her mother and she believed him. She only wished that she could see that herself. Besides that they did have the same golden hair and shared the same facial features. A sign that they were twins.

"Yes," she said, snapping out of her thoughts. "Merlin and I figured it out. There is a creature in the water supply called an Afanc. It's a creature formed by magic that is causing the plague. We need to destroy it and then, maybe then, father will see sense."

He paused. "Are you sure about this?"

Lyanna nodded convinced. "Absolutely. If we don't stop this beast, Gwen will die. I cannot lose someone else."

Her words were enough to persuade him. "Alright," he muttered, picking up a sword and handing it to her before he grabbed his own sword. "Let's go then."

She smiled with content at her sibling as the two of them exited the chambers. Night had fallen when they walked through the courtyard and found Morgana standing beside Merlin, both of them feeling unease. "Why are they here?" Arthur asked his sister, as they stood beside them.

"Because we need them," Lyanna wisely answered. "We're going to need all the help that we can get to save Gwen."

"I understand that," he responded before he faced the two women. "But you two should stay here. Merlin and I should be able to handle it from here. Go back before you get hurt."

"I think not," she stubbornly replied, locking gazes with her brother. "We can fight for our self. We're coming with you whether you want it or not."

"Why won't you just admit that you need us?" Morgana asked teasingly with a smirk before she walked away, followed by everyone else.

As they entered the cave Lyanna lightened her torch by using a spell before she followed the others. Merlin's lessons sure had helped her. They all made their way through the maze of tunnels. Suddenly, the four heard a low growl echo through the tunnel and Lyanna raised the torch in her hand higher.

After walking for a few minutes, Morgana looked at the servant. "How are we going to find it?" she asked him quietly.

"Let's just hope we do before it finds us," Merlin responded.

"Stop," Arthur ordered intensely, turning around to look behind them. "Thought I heard something."

"What is it?" Lyanna moved her torch closer to where Arthur was looking. There was nothing there. But she did feel a chill going through her spine.

"Must've been a shadow," Arthur reassured.

They continued on until they were at the water source. "Spread out," Arthur ordered as he and Morgana walked in a different direction, and Lyanna and Merlin to another. The grip on the torch in her hands was tight as she watched carefully around her.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked concerned, as he noticed how tensed she looked.

Lyanna nodded as they continued to walk through the tunnels, but halted in their tracks when they heard a scream. The princess immediately turned around to head back to the water source where they found Arthur swinging with his torch. "What is it? Are you alright?" she asked anxiously, hurrying to his side. Arthur simply mouthed a yeah as he kept staring in front of him where he had seen the beast just seconds before.

"What did it look like?" Merlin asked, looking around nervously.

"It's quick," was all that he said.

The hairs in Lyanna's neck stood up straight when she heard Morgana screaming. In front of her stood the Afanc. Uther's ward dropped her torch while Arthur started to swing at it with his sword. But it had disappeared again.

They all started to look around them nervously at every direction in the hope to find it again. "Where is it?" Lyanna asked impatiently, but was only able to hear the growls of the beast echoing quietly through the tunnels.

Merlin pointed down a passageway. "I think it's gone this way!"

They started to walk into the direction the soft growls came from. Lyanna exhaled deeply as they saw the Afanc coming from around the corner. Arthur started to swing at the beast with his sword, but quickly got disarmed leaving Lyanna alone in front of the Afanc. She swiped at it with the torch, seeing how it backed down.

Her brother pushed her to the side, taking over her place. "Arthur!" Merlin yelled. "Use the torch!" Arthur took Lyanna's torch and began to swing it at the monster.

Lyanna felt her entire body freeze when she and Merlin quietly chanted, causing their eyes to flash gold. "_Lyfte ic þe in balwen ac forhienan_**.**" A strong wind blew through the tunnels, making the fire grow until it overwhelmed the Afanc and killed it.

The four of them stared as the Afanc for a short minute until Arthur and Morgana started to head for the exit. Lyanna turned to face Merlin. "You've used magic," he stated quietly.

She smiled nervously. "As did you. I didn't know what else to do. The Afanc was coming for him and I panicked and –"

"There is no need to worry. We did the right thing. It's dead," Merlin told her with a smile. "You're magic is improving."

It had taken nearly an hour to explain Gaius everything that had happened, and before he had convinced Uther that Gwen had nothing to do with this plague. As soon as the King had given the order to release her, Morgana and Lyanna had went to fetch Tom so that he could take his daughter home.

Gwen turned to Morgana, who she assumed had done all of the work after hearing about her rant against Uther the other day. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Morgana corrected. "It was more Merlin and Lyanna. They are the hero's here. They have spent many hours trying to find a way to free you. It was them who figured out about the Afanc in the water supply."

"I really don't know what to say," Gwen said speechless.

"I really didn't do anything," Merlin said, modestly.

"I'm just glad to see that you're alright," Lyanna said, wrapping her arms around her maid. "That's the most important part." She let go off her, addressing her a gentle smile. She may've lost Marie to this mythical creature, but she was glad that she hadn't lost Gwen as well. She wouldn't be able to bare it.

"We are grateful, to all of you." Tom nodded to Gwen's friends as he wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulders and led her away from the cells.

Merlin and Lyanna went to leave when Morgana stopped him, causing Lyanna to stop as well, watching them. "Merlin, I just wanted to let you know that your secret is safe with me."

"My secret?" Merlin asked, worried.

"Merlin, don't pretend. I know what you did. I saw it with my own eyes."

"You did?"

"I understand why you don't anyone to know. I won't tell anyone"

"You won't?"

"Of course not. You can continue to deny it, but I think Gwen's a very lucky woman, to hold your affections."

Merlin widened his eyes in surprise. "What? Gwen?"

"Don't worry, Merlin. It's our secret." And with that she exited the cells, leaving behind an extremely bewildered warlock and a laughing Lyanna.

"Well that sure went different than I expected," she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder. "Come on, lover boy. Let's get you home." Merlin laughed.

That night she was invited for dinner by Gaius, and was seated at the table. She was fidgeting nervously with her fingers and felt Merlin's gaze burning on her, but he said nothing. Gaius entered the chambers and placed the dinner on the table before he sat down beside her.

"This fish didn't come from the water, did it?" Merlin wondered as he chewed weirdly as if he was taking something strange.

"Well, where else is it going to come from? The water is fine now. That's not your worry. This is the work of a very powerful sorcerer. I only hope that you two didn't come to her attention," Gaius replied.

"Doubt it," the warlock supplied. "Well no one else seemed to appreciate my skills. I just want someone to see me for who I am."

Lyanna gently placed her fork back on the table and wanted to protest but the physician was faster. "One day, Merlin. One day." He stood up and walked over to another table.

"One day what?" Merlin asked.

"One day people won't believe what an idiot you were," Gaius responded while he placed a hand on his ward's shoulder and sat down again while he placed goblets on the table.

"Oi," Lyanna protested, straightening her back. "I see you for who you are. Doesn't my opinion count anymore?"

Gaius laughed heartily, while Merlin scoffed. "We always value you."

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**Ah poor Marie :(**

**Please review! **


	5. The Poisoned Chalice

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Thanks for the reviews!

**KattieWatsonHolmes: Welcome to the story, dear. I'm glad that you're enjoying it so much :) I do hope you'll like this chapter as well. **

**BlueGreen216: Once again thanks for reviewing ^^**

**A/N- **I'm well aware that I've promised to update somewhere next week but I had already finished writing the chapter and it isn't a really big one. Nonetheless I do hope it's appreciated. I do appreciate everyone who has added this story to their alerts or as its favorites. It would be useful if I got some reviews from you lovely readers so I know what you think about it :)

**Please enjoy the chapter :)**

**- x Milou Lilly**

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**Chapter five: the poisoned chalice.**

Lyanna was staring out of the window and saw how large group of people riding towards the castle. This morning her father had announced a banquet to make peace with King Bayard from Mercia. Of course the entire castle was busy with the preparations for the treaty signing and the feast.

As soon as the word of the feast got out Gwen had ran into the room of the princess to make sure that she would look nice for today's activities. Her long blonde hair was weaved into separated layers on the back of her head. Lyanna was wearing a red velvet dress with thick sleeves that formed a V shape at the wrist, and a brown belt at her waist.

"I wish you a lot of fun today," Gwen told her before Lyanna was heading out of the chamber, but stopped to face her maid.

She shrugged. "I highly doubt that there will be any fun, Gwen. They will speech most of the time, while I need to listen to all of it. By the time they will share a toast the banquet will begin, but that is hours away from now."

Gwen couldn't help but smile at the thought of Lyanna listening to boring speeches all the time. "Well, then I wish you all the luck in the world." Lyanna was more than grateful to have her servant back after the incidents of last week. The thought of not being able to see her anymore was dreadful, and she was glad that it was all in the past.

"Thank you, Gwen," she said before walking out of her chamber and met up with her brother at the throne room. He had this look of pure boredom in his eyes. "You sure look as excited about this whole situation as I am," she said sarcastically and stifled a laugh.

"That's because I'm not," Arthur simply answered as he hooked his arm with hers. "Luckily we have to suffer both."

A long while had passed while King Bayard of Mercia and Uther Pendragon both held a speech. Lyanna was listening to them absentmindedly as she tapped quietly with her fingers against the side of the table. By the time they started to sign the treaty she knew that these activities were coming to an end. A smile crept on her face as she spotted Merlin standing in the crowd. The young warlock was clothed in the original servant clothing of Camelot, which were used many years ago. The hat with the colored feathers made him look the kingdom's jester. Obviously Arthur had made him wear that for something that he might have said. She had to speak her to her brother once this was all finished about this.

Uther finished signing the treaty and grabbed arms with Bayard. The crowd applauded as Bayard spoke, "People of Camelot, for a great many years we have been mortal enemies, and the blood of our men stains the ground of the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia. And though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them." A servant girl brought forwards box with the goblets. "As a symbol of our goodwill, and our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your son, Arthur and to your daughter Lyanna, in the hope that our friendship may last."

Lyanna noticed that one of Bayard's Servant was standing beside Merlin. She looked beautiful, and had captivating blue eyes, and was wearing a blue headband to cover her hair. She said something with a whisper which made it impossible for Lyanna to hear what was being said, but out of nowhere the two of them rushed out of the throne room together.

"Tonight we toast a new beginning for our people. We look forwards a future free from the toils of war…" Bayard continued to speech, but Lyanna wasn't hearing whatever he said. Her gaze lingered to Gwen who was standing beside her who gave her a reassuring smile, before she looked at Arthur who was doing his best to listen to what was being told.

A couple of minutes went by like that until the goblets were being handed. "And may the differences from our past remain there. To your health, Uther," Bayard said. Everyone stood up to toast. "Arthur, the Lady Morgana and princess Lyanna. To the people of Camelot, and to the fallen warriors on both sides," Bayard called out, which was the sign for them to drink the wine from the goblet. Just as Lyanna was about to take a sip she heard a familiar voice shouting.

"Stop!" Merlin ran into the throne room. "It's poisoned! Don't drink it!" He ran up to Arthur and took his goblet from his hands.

"What?" Uther asked bewildered.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Lyanna questioned softly. It did happen a lot that Merlin managed to surprise her, but this time it was different. He knew something that she didn't after speaking to that servant girl.

"Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison," Merlin stated.

Everyone gasped in shock. "This is an outrage!" Bayard roared in protest as he and his man drew their swords. The Knights of Camelot did the same. Lyanna anxiously chewed on her cheek.

"Order your men to put down their swords," Uther told him as more guards of Camelot rushed into the throne room. "You are outnumbered."

"I will allow this insult to go unchallenged," Bayard grumbled in defeat.

"On what grounds do you base this accusation?" Uther demanded to know, facing his son's servant.

"Let me handle this," Lyanna insisted as she skirted around the table. "Merlin, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, making sure that he was the only one who could hear her.

"Unless you want to be strung up, you will tell me why you think why it's poisoned and how," Uther ordered the servant.

"He was seen lacing it. I cannot say by who," Merlin told them. Lyanna didn't need to be a physic to understand that he was talking about the servant of Bayard.

"I won't listen to this anymore," Bayard protested in return.

"Pass me the goblet," Uther commanded. Lyanna grabbed the goblet out of Merlin's hands and handed it to her father. "If you're telling the truth…" he started, facing Bayard.

"I am," the King of Mercia said convinced of his own innocent.

"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?" Uther continued. Bayard sheathed his sword and reached for the goblet. "If this does prove to be poisoned, I want the pleasure of killing you myself." Lyanna could hear Bayard snort which made her even more frustrated, because she didn't understood at all what was going on. Uther held the goblet up to Merlin. "He'll drink it."

Lyanna's hazel eyes widened. "Father, he cannot drink it. If it is indeed poisoned he'll die! You cannot do this."

The King wasn't touched by her words at all. "Then we'll know he was telling the truth." He had turned into the coldhearted man that he was always was. She hated it when he behaved like this. This was Merlin's life that he was risking here. Her friend!

"And what if he lives?" Bayard wanted to know.

"Then you have my apologies, and you can do with him as you will."

"Father please," Lyanna reasoned, growing more tenses with every passing second. How could he possibly risk Merlin's life like that? "He's just an innocent servant. He doesn't know what he's saying."

"Merlin, apologize," Arthur told his servant when Uther didn't change his mind. "This is a mistake. I'll drink it."

He was about to grab the goblet from Merlin, who heavily protested. "No, no, no, no, no. It's, it's alright." Merlin toasted to Bayard and Arthur as he drank out of the goblet. No matter what was going to happen, he was doomed. Lyanna and Gwen took a few step forwards in their anxiety, grabbing each other's arms. Once nothing happened Merlin said, "It's fine."

Lyanna sighed with relieved and was about to slap the stubborn warlock in the face for being so foolish when he suddenly started to choke. His pale skin changed to purple as he fell onto the floor unconscious. "It's poisoned," Uther roared. "Guards seize them!"

Lyanna crouched over Merlin and grabbed hold of his face as she was trying to shake him awake. "He's not responding, Gaius," she cried, panic rushing through every vein of her body. "What can we do?"

"We have to get him back to my chambers. Bring the goblet. I need to identify the poison."

Arthur gently picked up his servant while Lyanna grabbed the goblet and followed them through the castle corridor. He gently laid Merlin down on Gaius' cot while the old physician told Lyanna to grab a towel and some fresh water.

Arthur looked to the physician. "You will be able to cure him, won't you, Gaius?"

"I won't know until I have identified the poison," he answered. "He's burning up. Keep him cool; it will help control the fever," Gaius ordered. "Lyanna, pass me the goblet."

The princess handed him the goblet in one smooth motion, watching how he removed something from the inside. "What is that?" Arthur asked, eyeing it curiously.

"It looks like a flower petal."

Lyanna flipped through one of his books before finding what she was looking for. "The petal comes from the Mortaeus flower. It says here that someone poisoned by the Mortaeus can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower," she read. "It can only be found in the caves deep beneath the Forest of Balor. The flower grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree." Arthur looked over her shoulder and pointed to a picture in the book.

"That doesn't look particularly friendly."

"A cockatricem," Lyanna informed her brother. "It guards the forest. Its venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death. Few who have crossed the Mountains of Isgaard in search of the Mortaeus flower have made it back alive."

Arthur sighed and glanced over to Gaius who was busy with dipping a wet cloth against Merlin's forehead, who was lying in bed dying because of him. "Sounds like fun," he said skeptical.

"Arthur, it's too dangerous," Lyanna protested. She didn't want her brother to fight this beast. The thought of losing him was something she feared more than anything, especially after she had learned about her fate.

"If I don't, what happens to Merlin?"

Lyanna looked over to Gaius, who looked down sadly. "The Mortaeus induces a slow and painful death. He may hold out four, maybe five days, but not for much longer. Eventually, he will die."

Arthur exhaled deeply before he spoke, "Then I know what I must do. I must speak with my father before I go or it will be too late. Lyanna you must stay here with Merlin to make sure that he's alright."

He knew how conflicted she felt. Lyanna wanted nothing more than to join him and search for the Mortaeus flower together, but she knew that she couldn't. Arthur nor her father would ever allow her to do something foolish like this for a servant. She hugged her brother tightly. "I want you to come back to me in one piece? Do you hear me Arthur Pendragon?"

He nodded and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Loud and clear," he said to assure her and tugged a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Just stay here and look after him. Help Gaius." With those words the prince strode out of the room.

* * *

A couple of hours had past while Lyanna sat beside the bed and continued to press a wet cloth against Merlin's face, in the hope that his temperature would cool down.

"He's getting hotter," she stated grimly, knowing that his situation was getting worse with the second. Gaius sat down beside her.

A shiver was send through her spine when she heard Merlin mutter something under his breath, which was nothing but a weak whisper. "_Him. liffrea, wuldres, wealdend, woroldare forgeaf."_

"Is he using magic?" Lyanna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. The fever is taken hold. I believe that none of these words are his own," Gaius confirmed as he grabbed his wrist. "His pulse is getting weaker." The old physician rolled up Merlin's sleeve onto to find a large circular rash on his arm.

"That can't be right. The rash is not supposed to appear until the final stage," she said, standing up to grab his book so that he could find more information. "This means that something is increasing the flowers potency. It warns that "The effect of the Mortaues will be more rapid if an enchantment if used during the flower's preparation."

"I don't believe Bayard to. It cannot have been him," Gaius objected. "Someone else must have done this." He stared out in front of him, while he muttered, "It can't have been. She wouldn't dare come here. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Lyanna asked, making her way back to him.

"What happened to that girl?"

It took her mere seconds until she realized who the old physician meant. "The one that took Merlin into the corridor before the toast? She had dark hair and looked very pretty."

"We must find her. Quickly."

"I'll go get Gwen," the princess decided as she hurried out of the room. The thought of being away from Merlin for so long wasn't something what she wanted to think about. She wanted to help him in the only way she could.

Nearly an hour had past and Lyanna was still pressing the wet cloth against Merlin's face while her hope faded with every breath that she took. "Don't you dare to leave me," she warned him with a whisper, not wanting to disturb Gaius who examining the rash on Merlin's arm. "We have a destiny to fulfill and we need to do that together. Besides who's going to cheer me up all the time whenever you're not around?"

Apparently Gaius had heard her words because he was smiling, but that soon faded when Gwen rushed through the door. "Let me guess, she wasn't there," the old physician assumed.

"No one has seen her since the banquet. Who is she?" Gwen asked as she headed towards the cot.

"Not who she claims to be," Lyanna muttered absentmindedly.

"She told us that her name was Cara. Though that is not her name. Not her real name, anyway," Gaius informed them. "She is a powerful sorceress."

"We should tell Uther," Gwen suggested. "Maybe he could send riders out after her."

"I doubt that will work, Gwen. She is long gone by now. It's impossible to know where she is and -" Lyanna's eyes widened as she realized something. "She knows the only place an antidote can be found is the Forest of Balor. Arthur might be walking into a trap."

"Arthur…" they heard Merlin whisper and they all turned their attention back to the unconscious boy lying on the cot. "Arthur…"

"His fever is getting worse," Lyanna complained, wanting to curse everything in the world, while she placed a fresh cloth on his forehead. "The poison is settling in."

Gaius nodded understandingly, handing Gwen a leather bag. "Could you collect some wolfsbane for me?" Gwen nodded before exciting the physician's chambers. Gaius looked over at his ward with concern. "Merlin," he whispered. "You must fight it."

"I must ride after Arthur to the forest of Balor. Together we might be able to collect the flower in time," Lyanna suggested, standing up from her chair. After sitting for so long her legs felt numb, and her head was slightly spinning.

"You would be riding towards your death," Gaius stated grimly. "There is nothing that you can do to stop her. Your powers aren't as strong as hers. She can kill you or Arthur with one simple spell of the Old Religion."

Lyanna knew that he was right and cursed under her breath as she faced the old physician. "If I were a High Priestess of the Old Religion I surely would use it for good."

Gaius smiled kindly at her. "This is why you and Merlin are the same. You both use magic from the heart, and with that thought in mind your powers will certainly grow."

"Did Merlin ever tell you about what the Great Dragon had said to us?" Lyanna wondered as she smiled back at the thought of seeing the mighty dragon for the first time. The old physician nodded.

He remained silence for a few seconds. "I already assumed such a thing to be true. There is a strong connection between the two of you. I do believe the two of you to become the greatest sorcerers to ever walk this earth."

The words of the old physician were heartwarming. "Has anyone ever told you how wonderful you are?" she asked teasingly.

"No," Gaius said shaking with his head. "But I don't mind to hear it."

Lyanna laughed, which felt nice after the stress she had been in for the last eight hours. She had always felt closer to Gaius than she had ever felt to her own father. Of course she didn't hate Uther, but she didn't trust him fully as well. They noticed Merlin whispering again and moved to sit next to him. Guinevere still hadn't returned from collecting the wolfsbane, so it was just the three of them in the chamber.

"No… it's too dark," he muttered. "Too dark, Arthur." Lyanna shushed Merlin, pushing a strand of his raven hair off his forehead.

_"__Fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme. Fromum feohgiftum_," Merlin whispered and something began to glow under his blankets. Gaius pulled back the covers to see a ball of light in Merlin's hand.

"He's using magic," Lyanna stated convinced. "It looks like he's guiding Arthur to get the flower. Do you think that's possible?"

Just like that Merlin began to groan. "No, Arthur. Leave them. Just follow the light. Save yourself. GO."

"I wasn't sure at first, but I sure am now," Gaius said gasping.

They both watched him as he continued to mutter things unconsciously. The ball of light kept glowing in the palm of his hands. After a couple of minutes Gaius stood up to look through some of books, leaving Lyanna alone besides the bed.

Without hesitation she grabbed the warlock's hand and ran circles with her fingers across the back of his hand as she looked at him absentmindedly. This was the only kind of reassurance that she could think of, that she could give him. At first she had wanted to use magic to save him, but she knew that her powers were useless against poison.

Lyanna sat like that by his side for many hours looking after him. As the night finally came she had tried to stake awake for as long as possible, but eventually fell asleep in the chair, while Gaius was fast asleep in his own bed. That night she dreamed about Marie. The two of them were riding through the forest, but then the servant girl got shot by an arrow and was killed instantly. During the last week Lyanna had watched her friend dying over and over again in her dreams. She didn't seem to be able to shake it off. Marie was still too clear inside her mind.

The following day Lyanna still refused to leave his side, and spend every minute holding his hand and whispering words to him, hoping that he able to hear them. It was around dusk when the word came out that Arthur had returned, but as soon as he had set foot in Camelot Uther had arrested him.

"He hasn't got much longer," Gaius announced sadly while Gwen paced through the physician's chamber. "Does Arthur have the flower?"

Gwen shrugged. "I'm not sure. Uther had arrested upon entering the city and has now forbidden anyone to see him. Is there nothing we can do, Gaius?" she asked worriedly.

"Only the leaf of the Mortaeus flower can save him."

"I could sneak into the dungeons and see if he has it." Gwen suggested.

"I could try it as well," Lyanna interfered. "Only I fear that I cannot get past the guards since Uther is preventing for anyone to see him. They would never allow me. I think Gwen has the best chance since she is a maid. She could try bringing him something to eat. I'm sure that they will let her pass."

"That could be dangerous," Gaius warned, but Gwen shook his head.

She was determined to help. "I have to, or Merlin will die." With that the servant hurried out of the door.

"I hate feeling so useless," Lyanna complained as soon as the door fell shut. "If only I could save him with magic, I wouldn't be sitting here doing nothing. I want to help him, Gaius."

"I know you do, my dear," Gaius soothed as he reassuringly, placing his hand upon her shoulder. "You haven't been from his side for a second. If that doesn't count for dedication I don't know what does."

Lyanna didn't say anything, but continued to stare at Merlin who was stirring restlessly. He was indeed looking worse. His fever was only increasing, and all the color was fading out of his skin. They didn't have long anymore.

After about twenty minutes of waiting Gwen rushed back into the physician's chamber with the flower in her hand. "How is he?" she wanted to know, handing it go Gaius.

"His breathing's much worse. We have to hurry, I don't think that he'll last much longer." Gaius threw the leaves of the flower into his mortar and began to grind them up, before stopping abruptly.

Lyanna looked over at the old man from Merlin's bedside. "Why have you stopped?" she asked confused.

Gaius bit his lip. "The poison was created with magic. We may need magic to make an antidote."

"But we can't!" Gwen pointed out. "It's forbidden."

"I'll try and make it work without." He handed Gwen a bucket. "I need some fresh water, I will need some fresh towels as well." The servant obeyed and left.

"Let me do it, Gaius," Lyanna offered as soon as Gwen had left the room, and rushed to his side. "I know that you have magic yourself, but you haven't used it in many years. Just tell me what to do." Gaius didn't argue with her and pointed towards a caption in the spell book. Lyanna looked down at the potion and took a deep breath.

"_Sythan arrest wearth feasceaft funden. Denum æfter dome. Dreamleas gebad he gewinnes longsum," _she chanted, and the mixture began to bubble. Lyanna smiled to Gaius as Gwen came running in with the water and towels.

Gaius thanked her and began to pour some water into the potion. The three rushed over to Merlin's bed. "Hold his nose," Gaius ordered Lyanna as he began to pour the antidote down his ward's throat.

They all watched in silence as Merlin went limp. "He stopped breathing," Lyanna observed feeling her own heart beating inside her ears.

Gaius placed his ear to Merlin's chest. "His heart has stopped."

Anxiety grew inside her stomach. "He can't be dead…" Lyanna stammered as the tears started to roam freely out of her eyes. After all the trouble they have been through, they could not possibly be too late. They had a destiny to fulfill together. She couldn't do it alone. She tried to blink the tears away that were pooling in her eyes.

Gaius pulled Lyanna into a tight embrace, letting her sob quietly into his chest as he reassuringly patted her back, and placed a kiss in her hair. They stood in silence for a few seconds, before they heard a small voice squeak. "That is disgusting. You should be ashamed for yourself. You're old enough to be her grandfather." Lyanna turned around to Merlin, who was awake and smiling at the sight of them crying over him. She didn't say anything, but wrapped her arms around his neck as she threw herself on top of him in one smooth motion, surprising everyone.

"Don't you ever dare to scare me like that again," Lyanna whispered threatening, not meaning a word that she said, as she felt Merlin returning the hug by grabbing her waist and pressing his head into her shoulder. "I thought that you were dead. You cannot leave me!" She was overwhelmed by all the emotions from the previous days. They both didn't want to let go off each other, but were interrupted by a cough that came from behind them. Lyanna sadly freed herself from his grasp, standing up again and straightening her dress. She blushed slightly. Luckily enough none of her family members had seen her.

"I'm just glad to have you back, my boy," Gaius said happily, running his hand through Merlin's raven hair.

"Welcome back, Merlin," Gwen said ecstatically.

Merlin chuckled before turning his attention to Gaius. "What happened? The last thing that I remember was drinking the wine."

Lyanna told him everything while Gwen went back to doing her chores, and Gaius was talking to the King in the hope to prevent another war between the kingdoms. The two of them were sitting in the cot in the middle of the chamber, Merlin underneath the blankets. "So you're saying that you stayed here all this time watching over me?"

She nodded sadly. "There was nothing else that I could do. I wanted to, trust me I did. I wasn't able to use my magic, and Arthur was already on his way to get the flower. Even Gwen proved of more use than I did. I did nothing."

"You shouldn't worry. You did enough, Lyanna," he assured her. "I appreciate everything that you did. In fact I heard some of the things that you said to me. I can assure you that I wouldn't leave you alone."

After they sat like that for a while she gestured him to the table while she wrapped a blanket around him to keep him warm, while Gaius had made them some dinner. They were chatting about simple things when Arthur entered the room.

"Still alive then?" he asked teasingly as he made his way towards them.

Merlin looked up from his dinner to face the prince. "Uhm – yeah just about." Arthur leaned on the back of the chair the warlock was sitting in. "I understand I have you to thank for that."

"Yeah well… it was nothing," Arthur responded indifferently, not wanting to show his true feelings, but Lyanna knew him better than she knew herself. "A half decent servant is hard to come by." Merlin chuckled nervously. "I was just dropping by to make sure you're alright and that you'll be coming back to work tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course," Merlin called after him as Arthur headed back towards the door. "Bright and early."

"I'll see you tomorrow then. Good bye Gaius. Good bye Lyanna," Arthur shouted amusingly before he walked further.

"Arthur," Merlin shouted, causing the prince to stop in his tracks. "Thank you."

Arthur looked at him for a second. "You too. Get some rest." And then walked out of the physician's chamber.

"Arthur may give you a hard time, but at heart he is a man of honor," Gaius told Merlin as he handed him some more porridge. "Not many would do what he did for a Sirvant."

"Gaius is right," Lyanna agreed with him. "Arthur may be a stubborn prat now and then, but he secretly does care for his manservant. Trust me, I know him better than anyone. Even though he shall never admit it. You two will be alright."

Merlin smiled at the thought before he faced Gaius. "It all would've been for nothing if you didn't know how to make the antidote."

"I did that together with Lyanna. Now eat your dinner before it gets cold," Gaius told him.

Merlin was about to take a bite from the food, but then thought of something. "I still don't understand why she would go through all this trouble for framing Bayard, while she could've just kept quiet and killed Arthur."

"Destroying Arthur and Camelot wasn't all that she was after. She knew that you would be forced by Uther to drink that wine. It was _you_ that she wanted to kill."

"Wait," Lyanna interrupted causing the two men to look back at her. "So there is some weird woman going around who has the intention to kill Merlin?" A shiver shot through her. Why would anyone want to hurt him?

"It seems like someone else knows that the two of you are destined for great things. I guess that it won't be long until we will see her again. Right now there is no need to worry. Please eat your dinner."

* * *

**Please review :)**


	6. Lancelot

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Thanks for the reviews!

**KattieWatsonHolmes: I'm really happy that you're enjoying this story :-)**

**waszka098: I had to use google translate again to figure out what you said haha but I can assure you that a kiss will happen *hint hint* Perhaps sooner than you think ;)**

**A/N- **Well it took a little over a week for me to update but I did my absolute best :) I cannot believe this story has been viewed more than** 1500 times!** That's incredible. I also appreciate everyone who has added this story to their alerts or as its favorites. It would be useful if I got some reviews from you lovely readers so I know what you think about it :)

**Please enjoy the chapter :)**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter six: Lancelot**

It was just past the crack of dawn when Lyanna woke from her slumber and got dressed before Gwen would show up. She decided to change into some travel gear which existed out of thick black pants, a grey shirt with long sleeves and a brown leather top which wasn't tight at all, with some long knee length boots. While she brushed her short hair there came a knock on the door which startled her a bit. She didn't expect anyone this early.

"Come in," Lyanna said doubtfully, wondering who this person was.

The door slowly opened and Merlin entered the room, puzzling Lyanna even more because she was expecting her maid. "Good morning," he greeted her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all, Merlin," she assured him. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"

Merlin showed her his trademark smile. "I need to collect some mushrooms for Gaius and I was wondering if you want to accompany me," he clarified simply.

Lyanna ran her fingers through her hair to and quickly braided it into a simple side braid before turning to the warlock. "Is Arthur aware that you'll be absent today?" she wondered out loud.

He nodded a few times. "I told him about it before I came here. He's totally fine with it."

That made her smile. "Alright, I will come with you. I could use some fresh air."

The princess grabbed the sword that Arthur had given her a couple of years ago and followed him out of her chambers. "I just need to go to the stables first," Lyanna informed him as they walked through the courtyard and headed towards the stables. Merlin didn't say anything, but followed her without question.

She made her way to the end of the stable where Lumiere was standing. The horse looked up when she approached him, but Lyanna could tell that he was feeling rather excited. "We'll go for a walk, boy," she said cheerfully and stroke its pink muzzle. She started to saddle Lumiere who didn't move a muscle, but just observed her with its big eyes. "I think it would be best if I take him along with us."

By the time that they were ready she pulled Lumiere forwards by his reigns, and out of the stables. Together they left Camelot and made their way towards the woods. While they walked they spoke about very common things and Lyanna realized how much she enjoyed being in his company. From everyone that she knew here she Merlin was one of them who she felt pretty close with.

"Where exactly are we going?" Lyanna asked after a moment of walking.

"We're almost here," he assured her calmly. "Please don't tell me that you're tired already."

"I am not," she spoke out defensively. She had spent years hunting in the wild, so a little walk surely didn't bother her. "I just have no idea where we're going and I don't like being blind. Besides why did I need to come along with you anyway? You surely don't need me."

Merlin chuckled. "No, but you're better company than Arthur is."

"Well that's not very difficult, is it?" Lyanna remarked teasingly as her gaze lingered around them. The birds were chirping in the thickets, and the sunshine crept through the roof of the trees. It was a nice day for this time of year, but still Lyanna couldn't help but feel at unease. As if something was coming.

They continued to walk for a little further until Merlin started to run. "I found them," he said cheerfully and kneeled onto the ground to pluck the mushrooms, placing them into the empty basket that he was carrying. "I told you that it wasn't that far."

"You're enjoying yourself, aren't you, _Merlin_?" she asked with a sheepish grin.

"A little bit," he answered with a smile.

Lyanna let go of Lumiere as she kneeled down beside him and helped him with plucking the mushrooms as she listened sharply to their surroundings. She was about to ask Merlin something when a piercing screech filled the air causing them both to jump up.

"Take the mushrooms and run!" Lyanna ordered, unsheathing her sword while saw a large beast running towards them. Lumiere broke out into a canter and disappeared between the trees. The beast had the body of a big lion, and the head of an eagle. Whatever it was she surely hadn't seen it before.

Merlin did as he was being told, and Lyanna followed him suit. They ran through the clearing until Merlin tripped over a root and landed with his face in the leaves on the forest ground. Lyanna stepped before him with her sword in her hands. There wasn't any time for her to use magic nor did she know any spell, so she had no other choice. She could only hope that her sword fighting lessons would pay off.

The monster squeaked, a sound that made her ears pierce, as she swung at him with her sword. The side of the blade slashed through its chest, but the monster didn't even seem to be affected by it. Lyanna stared at the creature in fear when a stranger jumped before her, knocking her to the side, as he bravely started to fight with the monster. His blade seemed just as useless against it as hers.

Lyanna hurried to Merlin's side and gently helped him back onto his feet. "Are you alright?" she asked worried. She was able to hear her own blood beating in her ears, as her heart was beating insanely.

"Run! Run!" the stranger told them, assisting with pulling Merlin along with them, while the tree of them ran as fast as their legs could carry them. The monster was still right behind them, his fury increasing.

They ran through a clearing, between the bushes until they eventually hid behind a couple of logs. Lyanna was seated on her knees and saw how the monster was running towards them, but then used its large wings to fly away. No one was going to believe this back at Camelot.

The three of them looked at each other as they tried to regain their breath when they were certain that it was gone. "I believe thanks are in order," Lyanna said with a sore throat from running. "You saved our lives."

He was about five years older than her, with dark hair and admittedly handsome features. She was certain that she hadn't seen him before. He wasn't from Camelot, and maybe only an innocent traveler that was passing through.

"I'm Merlin," the young warlock introduced himself as he extended his hand. "This is Lady Lyanna."

"The princess of Camelot?" he wondered confused. Lyanna nodded slowly. "My name is Lancelot." Before they were able to ask him some more questions Lancelot lost his consciousness, and fell down against the log.

"We need to take him to Gaius. I don't think that our magic can help him," Lyanna suggested. Luckily for them Lumiere came trotting into the clearing and she cautiously brought him to a halt. The horse breathed heavily, and was panicking. She shushed and tried to calm the steed. "Ssh. It's alright. It's alright," she whispered, petting its strong neck. It seemed to work and Lumiere calmed down.

Together with Merlin she gently lifted Lancelot into the saddle of Lumiere, and the horse didn't even stir underneath the weight. She held onto the reign and saw that Merlin was still carrying the basket with mushrooms and he noticed that she was watching him. "I'm not going to let this entire trip becoming a waste."

She laughed heartily, which felt nice. "I'm going to say what Arthur would say to you in a situation like this: you sure are wiser than you look," she mocked with a playful smile as they started walking.

When Merlin and Lyanna limped to the physician's chambers supporting an injured man on their shoulders not much later, Gaius nearly dropped the phial of medicine he'd been preparing. "Merlin. Lyanna. What happened?"

"We were attacked by a monster in the forest. He got injured when he was saving our lives," Merlin explained quickly, exhausted from carrying the man all the way from the stables.

Gaius gestured them up the stairs to Merlin's room where they placed Lancelot on the bed. They watched as Gaius examined Lancelot's wound. He sent Lyanna to get some water and when she returned he was wrapping the man's side.

"He's a very lucky man. The injury was only superficial. The fever will pass and he should be well by morning," Gaius announced. Lyanna dipped a rag in the fresh water and patted it on the man's head. After a few minutes, she left the room so that the man could rest.

Together the three of them sat around the table drinking some tea, trying to figure out what kind of beast could be roaming through the villages.

"I've never heard about such a monster before," Lyanna admitted, nipping her tea. "Whatever it was our weapons had no effect against it. Lancelot and I both hit the monster full with our swords, but it didn't even have the slightest scratch."

"You acted bravely," Gaius told her. "You couldn't have known how risky that was. Let's be glad that three of you have survived the attack."

"I was wondering about something. Why did you ever ask the knights to teach you how to fight with a sword?" Merlin suddenly came between them, eying her.

She smiled faintly. "Because I don't like the feeling of being vulnerable. I want to defend and fight for what I love in every way that I can. Since I can't use magic to defend myself I had to find another solution," Lyanna clarified quietly. This was the first time that she had admitted it.

A few hours went by and Lancelot had woken up. Merlin had spoken with the stranger for several minutes until he had rushed out of the door without saying a word, leaving Lyanna alone with Lancelot in his room. She was seated on the edge of the bed while Lancelot was looking out over Camelot through the window of the room. "So Lancelot," she started. "I don't think that I had the chance to thank you for what you did for us out there in the woods, since you past out when I did earlier. You saved our lives."

"It was nothing," Lancelot said humbly. "I did whatever every man would do. But my weapons were useless against that monster."

"Well, I'm more than grateful that you were there in time to help us, Lancelot. Are you feeling better now?"

He nodded as he turned to face her. "I am, My Lady –"

"Please, call me Lyanna. Everyone already calls me milady that I sometimes forget my own name," she corrected him with a warm smile.

Lancelot chuckled. "I should be thanking you as well for looking after me. No ordinary princess would ever do what you did."

"Let's just say that I'm not ordinary," Lyanna replied kindly. "I couldn't just leave you out there. I'm glad to see that you're doing alright."

It didn't take long until Merlin walked back into the physician's chambers, causing Lancelot to look extremely nervous. She realized that she must've missed out on something earlier. "Well? What happened?" he asked and Merlin looked at him with a sad face.

"Well…" he began with mock disappointment. Lancelot frowned and hung his head until Merlin cracked a smile. "I got you a chance," he exclaimed. Lancelot's eyes lit up and he grabbed Merlin's arm gratefully.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Wait," Lyanna interfered, crossing her arms while she stepped between them. "What on earth are the two of you talking about? You just left out of a sudden without saying a word. I think I own an explanation."

Merlin sighed, realizing that the princess was right. "Lancelot told me how badly he wanted to become a knight, so I asked your brother if it would be alright with him to give Lancelot a chance."

Lyanna bit her bottom lip. "I highly doubt that's going to be of much use, unless Lancelot is a nobleman."

Lancelot snorted. "A nobleman? Lord, no. What are you saying?"

"The First Code of Camelot states that only those of noble blood can Serve as a knight," Lyanna replied, remembering what her father had told her over and over again. "My father created the knights to protect this kingdom from those who wish to destroy it. He knew he would to trust each of his knights with his life. So he chose them from the families that had sworn allegiance to him."

"The nobility." Merlin finished, his smile fading.

"And thus the First Code of Camelot was born, and ever since that day, only the sons of noble families have Served as Knights." Lyanna finished, causing Merlin to groan.

"But that's not fair!" he protested.

Lyanna sighed. "I know it is. I wish there was a way to change it, but I'm afraid that we can't." The princess turned to Lancelot, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Lancelot. Truly, I am. Why do you want to be a knight so badly?"

Lancelot looked at the floor and sighed. "When I was a boy, my village was attacked by raiders from the northern plains," he explained. "They were slaughtered where they stood, my father, my mother. Everyone. I alone escaped. I vowed that day that never again would I be helpless in the face of tyranny. I made sword craft my life. Every waking hour since that day, I devoted to the art of combat, and when I was ready, I set forth for Camelot. And now, it seems, my journey ends. Everything I fought for, wasted."

Her story touched Lyanna and she could totally understand why he had the desire to become a knight. She really wanted to help him to fulfill his dream, but she knew that she couldn't and that pained her. Merlin frowned. "I promise you, Lancelot. I will do whatever it takes to make this right." And with that he left the physician's chambers.

Lyanna hated the feeling of being left on the side. She could understand why Merlin had become so passionate about making Lancelot into a knight of Camelot. He sure was an honorable man, but she knew that it was going to impossible. She kept Lancelot company and made him something to eat by using the food from the physician. She had to make sure that they had plenty of food for the upcoming days by giving them things from the royal kitchen.

Merlin returned an hour later, and was holding a rolled up piece of parchment in his hand and a mischievous grin on his face. Lancelot gave him a strange look, while Lyanna looked up from the book that she was reading. "This," he unrolled the parchment. "Is your seal of nobility. May I present Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria." Lancelot looked closely at the seal.

"How did you even get this?" Lyanna didn't have to guess that the warlock had used magic to create this nobility. There was no other way that he could've done such a thing.

"Trust me," Merlin replied, shrugging. "You do not want to know. Now take it."

Lancelot shook his head. "No, Merlin. I can't. It's a lie. It's against everything the knights stand for."

He rolled up the parchment. "Oh, so I guess that you don't want to be a knight then."

"Of course I do!" he exclaimed. "But…"

"But what? The rules won't allow it? Damn the rules! The rules are wrong! You have as much right to be a knight as any man. And besides, we're not breaking the rules. We're bending them, that's all. You get your foot in the door. But after that you will be judged on your merit alone." Lyanna had to blink a few times because she hadn't heard Merlin speaking on such a tone before. Lancelot seemed to consider this. "And if they make you a knight," Merlin continued. "It'll be because you earned it, noble or not. I can't change the way things are done around here, but you can...if you let me help you." He held the parchment out to him. He looked at him and then the parchment before hesitantly taking it from him. Merlin smiled proudly at him. "Lyanna," Merlin asked, who looked up surprised because she had felt that she wasn't taking part in this conversation. "What do you think?" he seemed eager for her opinion about this matter, which she appreciated.

She was silent for a second and walked toward them with crossed arms. "I do believe that you have the makings of a fine knight. Trust me when I say that I've seen many men coming to Camelot with the dream of becoming a Knight of Camelot, and to serve my family. They may have been of noble blood, but it turned out that they weren't destined to be one when they faced evil in the eyes. My brother is in charge of training them, and to choose who can become one. The rules that my father has made are wrong, but he is too proud to admit that. As long as we can convince everyone that you truly are a nobleman, they will soon forget that once they see you fighting with a sword. I can see that you have what it takes."

Lancelot smiled. "Thank you, My Lady." He then turned his attention to the young warlock. "Aren't you forgetting something though, Merlin?" he asked. "I'm not dressed like a knight."

Lyanna thought for a few seconds before grinning wider. "I happen to know someone who is very skilled at sewing. You just have to promise not to laugh or tell anyone." She cursed under her breath for being foolish enough for getting dragged into this.

It hadn't taken long for Lyanna to find Gwen because she was positive that her maid was at home to spend some time with her father. She told Gwen what had happened until they had all agreed to gather in her house so they wouldn't draw attention. Gwen was busy with measuring Lancelot's tight while Lyanna and Merlin leaned against a bench and watched them.

"Thi…" Lancelot coughed. "This is very kind of you, er…"

"Gwen," the servant responded. "Short for Guinevere."

"Ah. Then thank you, Guinevere."

"Don't thank me. Thank Lyanna and Merlin. They would do anything for anyone, wouldn't you?" Gwen responded. The sorcerers both humbly shrugged, showing him that it was their pleasure. "Sorry, can you raise your arms? Thank you. Sorry. I think it's great that they got you this chance. We need men like you."

"You do?" Lancelot asked shocked.

"Well, not me personally, but you know… Camelot. Camelot needs knights. Not just Arthur and his kind, but ordinary people like you and me," she corrected herself nervously.

Lyanna couldn't help but smile as she observed them. Ever since she had lost Marie she had become closer to Gwen because she was now her maid. She now saw her for who she truly was. She was down to earth, and terrible at hiding her feelings. But it was something which Lyanna always enjoyed to see in her friend.

"I believe that these two are growing quite fond of each other," Lyanna whispered quietly so that only Merlin was able to hear her. She didn't want to cause an uncomfortable silence.

"I think we should give them a private room," Merlin agreed with a grin.

The princess couldn't help but laugh at that, which drew the attention of Lancelot and Gwen, who both looked at her. "Merlin told a funny joke," she quickly lied. "He is a true jokester." They focused on each other again and Lyanna sighed relieved.

"Am I really that funny?" Merlin wanted to know with a grin plastered on his lips.

"Stop enjoying yourself," she replied. Merlin only laughed at that.

"Okay, we're done," Gwen stated, putting away her measuring tape. "I should have these ready in no time. It was nice to meet you Lancelot."

Gwen reached out to shake hands with him, but Lancelot took her hand and placed a kiss on it. Lyanna exchanged a look with Merlin, both trying to hold back their laughter as they headed for the door.

"Thank you for everything, Gwen," Lyanna called after her servant. "I owe you!"

The three of them walked through the corridors of the castle heading back to the physician's chambers. "She seems lovely," Lancelot stated after walking in silence for a moment. "Guinevere."

"She sure is a sweetheart," Lyanna agreed with him. "I've known her for years now and she has always been this kind. She was officially the Lady Morgana's maid, but now she is also mine. But mostly she's a good friend."

"And the best seamstress of Camelot, I promise," Merlin added with a smile. Lyanna giggled at that.

"Are you two… you know," Lancelot asked facing the warlock, making some hand gestures to explain himself.

Merlin started to laugh. "No, no. Just friend."

"I wasn't talking about you and Guinevere," Lancelot explained himself. "I was talking about you two."

Both Merlin and Lyanna's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. "No, we're not," the princess quickly answered, wondering why her cheeks were burning like that. Maybe because she had never thought about it like that. "We're just good friends. Anyway, I should get going." They had reached the stairways in the eastern wing of the castle. "My father isn't too pleased about me being away all the time lately, so I should spend some time with him, my brother and Morgana. I don't want any of them to suspect anything."

Merlin nodded understandingly. "Will I see you again, My Lady?" Lancelot asked.

"Of course you will," she promised him with a smile. "You will be in good hands with Merlin. You will see me tomorrow at the training ground. Good night, gentlemen."

With those words she started to climb the enormous stairs. While she walked she glanced a look down to see Merlin staring at her before he walked away with Lancelot right behind him. Lyanna returned to her room, changed her travel gear into a long white dress with a green corset, and yellow laces around the waist. The only reason because she had gotten changed was because it wasn't common for a princess to be clothed in armour.

By the time that she was finished Lyanna made her way into the dining room where the King was already seated at the head of the table. He looked up from a parchment that he was reading. "Lyanna," he greeted relieved as she saw her approaching. "You look lovely."

"Thank you, father," she said gratefully, sitting down on his left side. "How was your day?"

He seemed a little surprised by her question, but answered flatly. "Very busy. I've traveled to a nearby village because of an attack by this strange monster. Where have you been all day?"

"With Gaius," Lyanna lied, knowing that he wasn't going to think something otherwise. "I helped him with treating some patients in the lower town. Father, I was wondering if I could have your permission to spend more time helping the physician in the future."

Uther's eyes narrowed a little. "You want to spend more time helping Gaius?" he repeated uncertainly. Lyanna nodded. "But I already see you as little as it is. Besides you're the princess of Camelot, and your business is with the people."

"I'm sorry, Father," she apologized, fidgeting with her fingers. "But if I were to help Gaius, I would be helping the people as well. If you don't want me to be gone that often I fully understand your decision."

Her words had effect on him, just as she wanted to. "I can see that this is really something that you want I'm sure that we can arrange something. Gaius can indeed use all the help that he can get, and his indeed getting older every day."

Lyanna addressed the King a warm smile. "Thank you, Father. I don't know how I can thank you for such kindness."

"By trying to spend as much as we can together," he told her. It seemed fair in her eyes. They rarely were together lately because she was far too busy with spending time with Merlin. Helping Gaius was a nice way to do something useful, and to have a good reason to spend time in the chambers of the court physician without creating suspicion. It was not that she didn't enjoyed being with her father, she really did.

"I wouldn't wish for anything else, father," Lyanna supplied, taking a sip from the glass filled with water that had just been placed on the table by one of the servants. Just like that Arthur and Morgana entered the room and sat down on their own seats, as the rest the food was being brought in.

Dinner went by peacefully. Lyanna had spent the entire evening inside her chambers reading some books about medicines so it would be easier to assist Gaius in the future. The following morning she woke up an hour after dawn. Together with Gwen she got dressed into some armour, which existed of chainmail and brown breeches. Her blonde hair got weaved into a simple braid.

"Might I ask why you're dressed in armour?" Gwen asked by the time that they were finished.

"Because I just feel like practicing, and maybe I can persuade Arthur if he disapproves of Lancelot," Lyanna explained, sheathing her sword into a scabbard. "Did you finish his armoury?"

Gwen nodded. "It took me a couple of hours to get it done. I shall bring it to him right away and make sure that he gets there on time"

"Thank you, Gwen," the princess gratefully said as she walked out of her chamber when she bumped into Arthur. "Ah. Dear brother."

"Good morning, Lyanna," he greeted, before his gaze lingered to her armour. "Will you be joining us today?"

Her eyes brightened and she nodded. "Yes, I will. I haven't practiced all week and I could honestly use some exercise. It will do me good." The only reason that she had wanted to join the training was so she could keep an eye on her brother when Lancelot would show up. She had promised Lancelot that she would help him, and she had to keep her word.

Together they chatted about battle strategies on their way to the training ground. When they got there they found that the knights were already waiting for them. "Today the training shall be joined by my sister, the Princess of Camelot. I expect that you all take it easy with her," Arthur said teasingly, like he always did when she would participate.

Lyanna sighed, stumping her brother against his shoulder. "Like I need gentleness. I can take perfect care of myself."

Arthur held back his laughter, causing him to cough before he turned to face his knight to start the training. At first the two Pendragon twins observed how the knights did some basic moves which they were going to need if they wanted to become proper knight.

Her vision about fighting was very appreciated by her brother and he often would ask her what she thought of a strategy that he had developed. She secretly hoped that she would be able to train the knights with her brother in the future. She knew that because she is a princess she's not allowed to become a knight herself, so she would've to be pleased with participating in the training to keep in shape, and to hold her skills in order.

As she continued to watch the knights she noticed Gwen and Merlin standing at the edge of the field, with Lancelot dressed in his knight outfit. He truly looked like a knight. Gwen sure had done an amazing job on the outfit. If she hadn't met Lancelot before all this she surely would've believed he was a nobleman.

"Arthur," Merlin called out as he and Lancelot walked towards them. "This is Lancelot, the man I was telling you about yesterday." Lancelot turned to face the prince and his eyes widened. He stared at him as he took his gloves off and threw them to Merlin, who struggled to catch them.

"Lance-a lot?" Arthur asked with a smirk, breaking the man's trance.

"Lancelot, Fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria, Milord," he announced as he held out his fake seal and bowed to the siblings, still looking slightly uncomfortable. He must have studied that name during the night, in the hope to sound convincing.

Arthur looked at him for a split second before suddenly striking him. Lancelot fell in surprise while Arthur shook his head. "Sluggish reactions. In a battle field you'd be dead by now. Come back when you're ready." He turned to leave when Lyanna interfered.

"You're not being reasonable, she said, helping Lancelot back onto his feet. "I've seen him fight yesterday, and I truly believe that he has what it takes. Lancelot is ready now. You should give him a chance."

Arthur considered her words for a second before he turned to face Lancelot with a devilish smirk. "Fine. You can start by cleaning out the stables." Lancelot looked over at Merlin and Lyanna uncertainly, who both flashed a large grin and gave him two thumbs up.

The rest of the training Lyanna practiced fighting in battles against some of the knights, and she managed to win a few of them. It had felt good to be able to fight for herself and she had missed the feeling of adrenaline that rushed through her veins. "I told you that I didn't need gentleness," she stated, wiping the sweat off her brow.

"You sure proved it," Arthur firmly agreed. "We share the same genes, so it wasn't much of a surprise."

"You sure are full of yourself, Arthur Pendragon. At least someone is."

Arthur pouted slightly. "I love you too, sister." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they both headed back to the castle.

Two days had gone by peacefully. Lyanna had divided her time to assist Gaius with looking after ill people, training with the knights and with Lancelot, going on a ride through the woods with Uther and Morgana on Lumiere and practicing some spells with Merlin. By the time the night had fallen she had been exhausted from the activities, and had fallen asleep as soon as her head had felt her soft feather pillow.

On the third day Lyanna had watched how Arthur had challenged Lancelot into a battle by breaking off the bristles off a broom. Together they fought for a couple minutes until Arthur managed to strike Lancelot down with her broomstick handle. He nodded, impressed. "Congratulations, Lancelot," he announced. "You've just made basic training."

Lyanna wanted to congratulate him as well when the warning bells sounded and the three of them ran to the gates to see a mass of panicked villages staggering towards the courtyard. Lyanna looked over the crowd to see Gaius and Merlin tending to one of them. She made her way over to them as Merlin guided an older woman to a stoop where she could sit. "It's alright," she heard the servant reassure. "You're safe now." It surely was heartwarming to see Merlin looking after people with so much care and devotion.

"What happened?" she asked perplexed, seeing that most of the people were injured.

Merlin gave her a worried glance. "The monster from the forest attacked their village."

Lyanna cursed inwardly and started to assist Gaius with looking after the people in the best way that she could. They treated their injuries and made sure that were all doing fine, which had taken a few hours. That night she had been quiet, reading some books that Gaius had recommended, which she truly enjoyed. He had told her a couple of times already that he never expected to find someone who was interested in his works.

The following morning Lyanna, Merlin and Gwen stood at the side of the training ground while Arthur and Lancelot stood before each other, both dressed in full armour and their swords drawn. "Well, here we are," Arthur announced. "Your final challenge. Succeed and you join the elite. Fail and your journey ends here. Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria…" The servant at the edge of the field flipped the hourglass. "Your time starts now."

Merlin and Gwen winced as their swords clashed. Lyanna grinned as Lancelot managed to stand so long on its feet. He was getting close.

Arthur knocked Lancelot down. He frowned and shook his head. "Disappointing," he muttered as he reached down to remove his flag. Out of nowhere, Lancelot reached up and grabbed Arthur's arm. Kicking his legs out from under him, he knocked the prince down and pointed his sword at his throat.

"Do you submit, My Lord?" he asked, and Arthur stared up at him, jaw dropped in surprise. Two guards grabbed Lancelot and restrained him. Arthur stood up and glared at the man. "On your knees!" he ordered with his voice raised. He grabbed his sword and pointed it at Lancelot's chest.

Fear washed through Lyanna as she watched the scene in front of her eyes. What happened next was something she surely didn't expect. "Take him to the King in the throne room," Arthur ordered and Lyanna gasped relieved. This could only mean that Lancelot had passed the test and would be bestowed as a knight. Their plan had succeeded.

While the guards dragged Lancelot along with them the training ground slowly grew emptier, leaving only Lyanna behind with Merlin. "I can't believe that you're plan worked," she said in pure astonishment.

"I told you before that you shouldn't doubt me," Merlin responded dryly. "My plan worked fine."

Lyanna's gaze lingered to him. She couldn't help but laugh at his optimism and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for doubting you. Come," she said. "We have a bestowing to go to."

A lot of people were gathered in the throne room where the bestowing was held. Lancelot was kneeled in front of the King, while Lyanna stood alongside her brother and Morgana. "Arise, Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot," Uther proclaimed as Lancelot rose and the crowd in the room cheered ecstatic. Morgana looked over to Lyanna, who was smiling brightly at the new knight who was making a conversation with the King.

Night fell and everyone gathered in the banquet hall for the feast that was being held in Lancelot's honor. Arthur was sitting on a table with Lancelot while Merlin stood beside them, all of them with drinks in their hands.

"Here's trouble," Arthur started pointing into the direction where Morgana was standing with Gwen and Lyanna. "Tell me, do you think her… beautiful." They all looked to a different woman that stood on the other side of the room. Arthur watched Morgana. Lancelot watched Gwen, while Merlin looked at Lyanna.

"Yes, Sire, I do," Lancelot agreed firmly.

"She sure is stunning," Merlin added, lost in his own thoughts. He had never said this out loud to anyone else before, but he quickly realized that Arthur and Lancelot were speaking about Gwen and Morgana, so they hadn't noticed that he actually meant the princess.

"Yeah. I suppose she is…" Arthur said dreamily as they continued to watch the three ladies, who suddenly were aware of the gazes that were being thrown at them.

"Can you believe those men?" Lyanna growled as she caught them lurking. She then focused on her servant. "I think Sir Lancelot might have eyes for you, Gwen."

"Don't be silly," Gwen objected shyly.

"What? So what if he did? Would that really be so bad? Lancelot is an honorable man," Morgana added, giving a wink to Lyanna. The princess was grateful that the King's ward was playing along with her game.

Gwen sighed, shrugging. "He's not really my type."

"Oh, well, there's a surprise. Sometimes, Gwen, I wonder if you'd know what your type was if he was standing right next to you," Lyanna teased grabbing a drink from a passing servant.

"So, come on," Morgana started, eying her friends "Just for the sake of argument. If you had to choose one of them, who would it be?"

"But I don't have to and I never will," Gwen slightly protested.

"Neither do I," Lyanna agreed with a grin. "Everything that I say can be used against me in the future, and I don't think that's wise."

"You two surely are no fun," Morgana sulked sarcastically.

Arthur pounded on the table, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear as they fell silent, and lifted his tankard in a toast. "Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast to our new recruit, our new Knight of Camelot, Sir Lancelot." The room erupted in applause and Lancelot looked to Merlin and Lyanna, who both raised their goblets at him and smiled.

Lots of mead was drunk in the throne room as the hours went by. It was getting later and slowly the guests started to leave bit by bit. By the time that Morgana and Gwen had left Lyanna walked over to the table where Lancelot was seated with her brother and Merlin and some other knights.

"Is everything alright, dear sister?" Arthur asked as he saw her standing.

She smiled. "All is well, Arthur," she replied. "Are you enjoying your feast, Sir Lancelot?" _Sir. _It sure put a nice ring to his name. He now had a title and she had to get used to calling him like that from now one. He would definitely be one of the finest knights that Camelot had to offer.

Lancelot's eyes were twinkling. "I sure am, My Lady."

She could tell that the three of them had drunk plenty, and were kind of drunk. The other knights cheered loudly when Lancelot and Arthur tried to finish their tankered of mead the fastest. Eventually it was Arthur that won, but Lyanna was aware that was only because her brother had some experience with drinking.

"Have I told you that you look very beautiful tonight, My Lady?" a familiar voice asked.

The sound of that voice brought goosebumps into Lyanna's skin. Her cheeks flushed crimson and she knew who that voice belonged to. She turned her head to see Merlin standing beside her. His face was close to hers, and she was staring into his piercing blue eyes. This was the first time that he had given her a compliment like this and Lyanna could only assume that he behaved like that was because had drank a lot.

"No, you haven't told me that," she replied dryly. "But I am flattered. I didn't peg you to be a drinking type."

"That's because there hadn't been any reason to celebrate before," Merlin clarified with a grin.

She brought her head closer to his. "So you only drink whenever there is something to celebrate?" she asked quietly. Her lips were close to his ear, which caused Merlin's skin to shiver. No women had ever come this close to him. This woman sure had an effect on him.

He nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Well, what exactly do you find a cause to celebrate?" Lyanna wondered interested.

"Helping our friend fulfilling his dream."

"Anything else?" Her hazel eyes were twinkling now.

He paused for a moment, but slowly tilted his head. "Being around someone beautiful. Like I am now."

Lyanna pulled back her head and looked him directly into his eyes. Her fingers were playing with his raven hair. "You sure are a charmer, Merlin," she replied chuckling. She wondered if he would think the same way if he was sober. Probably not. He wouldn't even remember what he said once he had sobered up. "I should go. Enjoy the feast." With those words she exited the banquet hall and made her way back to her chambers.

The next morning Lyanna walked into the physician's chambers around dawn. "Good morning," she chanted happily as she made her way over to Gaius who was standing behind his workbench, looking through the potions that stood before him.

"Good morning, dear," he returned. "You are up early. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Lyanna made her way over to Gaius, observing what he was doing. "Are you making a potion against a hangover for Merlin and Lancelot?"

The old physician nodded. "You guessed that right. They came home in the middle of night, making a lot of noise. Can you hand me some sage, my dear?"

"And some lavender?"

"Someone has clearly studied."

Lyanna smiled warmly, handing him the herbs that he wanted. "I did. I have to say that I like it more than I thought that I would."

The two of them made the potions together while chatting about ordinary things. An hour had past until there was still no sign of the new knight of Camelot and the prince his servant when Lyanna had decided to wake them up before they would both be too late for their work.

She entered the chamber only to see Lancelot lying in the bed, and Merlin sleeping on a mattress on the ground. He looked so peaceful, as if all his worries didn't exist. A part of her didn't want to wake him up.

"Rise and shine," Lyanna shouted loudly, pulling open the curtain to let the bright sunshine enter the chamber while she heard the two men growl in protest. "There is no need to be grumpy. You two should've thought about that before you decided to drink this much. For now get dressed. You have a busy day ahead of you. Both of you."

With that she exited the chamber and headed back to Gaius so that they could get dressed. This morning Lyanna had decided to wear a forest green dress, of light material which Gwen had made for her a few days ago. It was one of the favorites that she possessed and she felt better wearing it.

"Two yards of ale? More like two miles," Lancelot groaned, and Merlin gave a little chuckle as they entered the room.

Lyanna held two phials of thick, green liquid out to them. "Don't look at it, don't smell it, just down it in one," she ordered them. They hesitated for a second as they downed it down, their headaches easing off as they sighed with relief. "Feeling better? We don't want you nodding off first day on the job, Lancelot."

"That's _Sir_ Lancelot, if you don't mind," Merlin corrected with a smile, causing everyone to laugh. That was something all of them could get used to. Things were changing here in Camelot, and it was all looking brighter.

Suddenly the door swung open with a bang, as two guards stormed into the physician's chambers and arrested Lancelot. "What's going on?" Lyanna immediately asked as they dragged the Knight away.

"Orders of the King, My Lady," one of the guards answered grimly as they walked out of the chambers again with Lancelot and didn't say another word.

Lyanna exhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a second. "I fear that my father knows that the seal of nobility is a fake. There isn't another explanation for why he would send guards out to arrest someone who's completely innocent. Our plan has failed. We must get to the council room as soon as possible in the hope that we can change my father's mind."

By the time Lyanna and Merlin had made it to the council room they saw Lancelot being forced to his knees before Uther, who looked over to the court genealogist. "Tell him what you told me."

The old man named Geoffrey held up the fake seal that Merlin had created. "These credentials are faked. The seal itself is faultless, forgery of the highest possible standard, but a forgery it must be. There is no record of the first son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria."

"You lied," Uther clarified. "Do you deny it?"

Lancelot glanced up at Arthur, who was standing behind his father, biting his lip with concern. He gave him a sad look before turning his attention back to the King. "No, Sire," he responded. Lyanna looked down with disappointment.

"You've broken the First Code of Camelot. You've brought shame upon yourself and upon us. You are not worthy of the knighthood bestowed upon you. You never were. And you never will be." Uther declared before motioning to the guards. "Get him out of my sight." Lancelot gave Arthur one last look before the guards escorted him down to the dungeons.

"Sire," Lyanna spoke up and her father turned to look at her.

"Do you contest my judgment?"

"His deception was inexcusable. But he meant no harm, Sire, I'm sure of it. He only wished to Serve Camelot," Lyanna explained and Uther frowned. "There is no need to punish him for that."

"The First Code is a sacred bond of trust. It is what binds the knights together. How can you trust a man who's lied to your brother?" None of his children had an answer to this and Lyanna stormed out of the throne room in rage.

She was walking through the empty corridors when she suddenly felt someone grabbing her wrist and pulling her behind a pillar. It was Merlin. He looked down into her piercing hazel eyes. They reminded him of the emerald hill back at Ealdor, which was a nice feeling.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sounding worried.

Lyanna shook her head. "I don't know. I just wish that there was something we could do to help Lancelot, but I'm afraid that my father has made up his mind about this. We have to speak to Lancelot."

Merlin remained to look into her eyes, until he pulled her along with her through the corridors of the castle with a steady pace. A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind as she ran after him, doing their best not to get caught by someone.

It had taken them less than a couple of minutes until they were standing in front of the cell where Lancelot was being held captive. Lyanna made placed her hands on the bar. "I'm so sorry for everything. I wish that there was a way to make my father realize that he's wrong."

"I don't know what to say, Lancelot," Merlin apologized truthfully.

"You're not to blame." Lancelot argued quietly and Lyanna shook her head. "Neither of you are."

"Yes, I am. I pushed you. I made you lie."

"The choice was mine. My punishment is mine to bear, and mine to bear alone."

Lyanna sighed and pursed her lips. "I wish there was something I could do. Maybe I can talk to my father again to make him see what a wonderful knight you are. He's wrong to judge you for what you're born like. It's what's inside your heart that should matter."

Lancelot smiled faintly at her. "You've been far too kind for me, princess. Both of you have been. All I can ask from you is to stop blaming yourself. It's not your undoing. It is mine."

Lyanna opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Merlin's hand upon her shoulder. "We should get going before someone suspects that we're involved in this as well," he said grimly.

He was right, and she knew it all too well. If someone would find out that they were involved they would never hear the end of it. She wondered if Uther would throw his own daughter into the dungeon as well for this. She figured that he would.

"I will not rest until you're released," Lyanna promised him.

Together Lyanna and Merlin walked back into the physician's chambers, their shoulders hunching in defeat. As they entered, Gaius was bent over his work table, reading in a book. "Please, don't say that you told me so," Merlin muttered.

Gaius shook his head. "I have no wish to gloat. What's done is done." He beckoned them over. "Here. Come and take a look at this. I realized my mistake. I've been looking for the creature in the wrong place, in the records of all known living things in the kingdom. And then I thought, but what about creatures only recorded in legend? In myth? Then I discovered this." He pointed to a picture as both sorcerers gasped in recognition.

"That's it, Gaius. That's the monster."

"That's the one that attacked us," Lyanna confirmed in utter shock. Seeing it on the drawing send a shiver down her spine.

Gaius opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of the warning bells cut him off. A familiar screech echoed through the air as the three of them hurried to the window. Down in the square, the knights were rushing out to fight the monster. Arthur raised his shield and spear.

"Oh no… Arthur can never defeat that," Lyanna panicked as the beast threw him back into one of the walls. "He's not going to win this battle." One of the knights threw a torch to the prince, who picked it up and swung it at the beast which recoiled in fright and flew away while it hissed angrily. Lyanna sighed relieved. "Oh thank God. I got to go to make sure that he's alright."

Followed by Gaius and Merlin they made their way through the corridors of the castle. By the time that they reached the council chambers they saw Uther patting Arthur's back. "You said your knights were the best in the land. You proved that today.

"All I know…" he reported breathlessly. "…is that the beast is still out there, and it will strike again."

"Let's not wait for it. The kingdom has been menaced by this creature for too long. We finish this now."

Lyanna stormed towards her brother and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please don't ever scare me like that again," she told him.

Arthur didn't hesitate to return the embrace. His hand was resting on the back of her head. "I'm sorry if you were worried about me, but I had no other choice. It's my duty to protect the people of Camelot."

"I understand that. That doesn't make it easier to watch you fight a monster like that," she retorted, while she kept still. At this moment she didn't want to release him. She felt safe and that was all that she wanted to feel.

"Sire," Gaius stepped forwards, Merlin and close behind him. "If I may. We've been researching this creature, Sire. We believe it to be a griffin, a creature of magic."

Uther looked at the physician with curiosity. "What's in a name?"

"It is born of magic, Sire, and it can only be killed by magic."

"You are mistaken. It's a creature of flesh and blood like any other. Arthur proved that today."

Lyanna opened her mouth to speak up in defense, but Arthur beat her to it. "I'm not so sure, Father," Arthur spoke up, and Uther stared back at him. "I struck the griffin with a spear, yet the griffin was unharmed. Sire, our weapons seemed useless against it."

Uther shook his head. "Useless? I think not. No, it's tasted our steel once; the next time will be its last. When will your knights be ready to ride again?"

Arthur bit his lip, knowing that the King would not be convinced. "An hour, maybe two."

"Good. We finish this tonight."

She couldn't believe the stubbornness of her father. The man wouldn't see reason if he was standing right in front of the griffin himself. Lyanna slowly pulled away and looked her brother into his eyes. "Let me come with you," she insisted when they were all alone.

He shook his head. "No, I will not risk your safety like that. You need to stay here where I'll know that you're safe," he retorted.

Her eyebrows were knitted together in agony. "It's unfair. I'm the best fighter out here and I'm not even allowed to fight," she complained.

"That's because you're not a knight, but the princess of Camelot. You don't have to prove everything and people would like it if you would stay safe," Arthur clarified.

Lyanna huffed. "That doesn't make it fair. Besides I also want you to stay safe. Who else am I going to tease?" she asked playfully.

Arthur laughed, ruffling through her golden hair. "You don't have to worry about that. Remember what I promised you when we were four years old and I went to find your dog that ran away in the woods?"

That memory brought a smile to her lips. "That you would come back to me," she recited.

"That's right. And I kept my word, didn't I?" She nodded. "And I will keep it until I draw my last breath. I'll come back. Like I always do."

This was the exact reason why Lyanna saw a version of Arthur that no one else saw. He may be an annoying prat at time but he shared his vulnerabilities with her and so did she. They were too halves of one person and were more similar to each other than they cared to admit.

"I'll wait for your return," she said hopefully and placed a light kiss onto his cheek before she picked up the skirt of her dress and hurried away. She made her way over to the physician chambers. Once Merlin got aware of her presence he told her what she had missed out on. It was their plan to use magic to defeat the griffin, but feared it wasn't strong enough. "If our magic isn't strong enough to defeat the griffin, it may be if we combine it," Lyanna suggested wisely.

Merlin nodded. "We have about two hours to find a way to slay the griffin."

They looked through the pile magical books that lay on the desk in the hope to find a solution. It didn't take long until Gaius had found the right spell. "There. This is the only thing that can help Arthur," the old physician said to them.

"I've never cast a spell of enchantment this powerful," Lyanna muttered after observing the spell in the book carefully. This was the first time that she had she would use a spell like that. She had only learned the basics of magic a few weeks prior and now she had to chant a spell. It seemed unbelievable.

"I fear nothing less will kill it. Here." Gaius handed them both a rusty dagger. "I suggest that you both try in the hope to succeed. I know that you two have it in you."

Lyanna hazel eyes met the captivating blue ones of Merlin, before they both inhaled deeply and chanted._ "Bregdan anweald gafeluec." _Nothing happened. They all looked at each other in vain.

"Don't worry. We have plenty of time," Gaius assured them. The last thing that they needed was to lose hope. They couldn't give up. Not now. They had to be brave. "You have to keep trying."

They continued to try to get the spell right for nearly two hours and both Lyanna and Merlin threw their heads back in frustration. This spell was too strong for them, and they kept failing. There was no way that they could make it work. "Try again," Gaius urged them. The physician didn't want to give up so easily. "I know that you two have it in you. I know that you do." Merlin chanted again, but the dagger he was using was still just a useless dagger. Lyanna groaned exhausted and dropped her head onto the desk. Gaius squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, dear. I know you're trying."

"And I'm failing! And if Arthur dies because we're not good enough..." her voice trailed off as she thought about what could happen. The thought already frightened her.

They were disturbed by Gwen rushing into the physician's chambers. "Lady Lyanna! Merlin! Lancelot is riding out to kill the griffin!"

Both sorcerers stood up in surprise. "He is what?" Merlin wanted to know.

"He came by my house and asked for some armour and a sword. He said something about Arthur and how he wouldn't let him down again."

Merlin grabbed Lyanna's wrist as they both ran out the door in a flash, hoping to catch up with Lancelot before he rode off. Luckily, they arrived just as he was saddling up his horse. He turned when he heard someone approaching and furrowed his brow with curiosity.

"We're coming with you," Lyanna stated, grabbing Lumiere out of the stables.

Lancelot shook his head. "No, you're not coming, My Lady."

"We all know that Lyanna is a Pendragon which means that stubbornness is flowing through her veins. Just try and stop us," Merlin dared him as he grabbed another horse from the stables and started to saddle it.

"You two are unbelievable," Lancelot ranted. "Besides you're not a soldier, Merlin."

"No, he's not. But I am. I know how to fight," Lyanna said one she was finished with saddling Lumiere. "You said it yourself, Lancelot, that my brother could use all help that he can get. Now let's go." Lancelot only shook with his head as he climbed onto his horse.

The three of them rode through the woods as fast as they could. When they finally caught up with the knights, they found them all lying on the solid ground. Whether they were unconscious or dead Lyanna couldn't tell as she and Merlin hysterically scanned the area for a sign of her brother.

When she saw someone with golden blonde hair lying on the ground she dismounted Lumiere and rushed to his side and gently lifted her brother onto her lap, who had a nasty scratch on his forehead. "Over here," Lyanna yelled, and Lancelot and Merlin rushed over. "He must have been knocked out, but he is alive."

The familiar screech sounded behind them, and they turned to see the griffin appearing at the end of the path, his gaze transfixed upon the new prey. Lancelot immediately climbed onto his horse, lance pole in his hand and began to charge at the monster.

"We have to do this together, Merlin," Lyanna suggested desperately. "We have to try."

Merlin faced her for a second before he nodded. "It's now or never." He turned around to focus his attention on the griffin that was running towards Lancelot at full speed.

"_Bregdan anweald gafeuluec_," they both chanted at the same time.

Nothing happened, and Lyanna could see that Merlin was about to give up hope. Lancelot was riding closer to the griffin, and if the spell didn't work this time it would be too late, and Lancelot would be killed.

Their gaze met again for a hasty second as they both perfectly chanted_. "__Bregdan anweald gafeluec!" _They saw the lance pole began to light blue just as Lancelot collided with the griffin. It cried in utter pain for a few seconds before it collapsed on the ground, dead. _They had done it!_

Lyanna ran her fingers through Arthur's golden hair as she whispered clearly, "_Liscar ge st__a__ð__ol nu_." Her eyes flashed gold as Arthur began to stir in her arms. It was a spell that she had read in one of Gaius book's which would help against the pain. Merlin looked at her again, nodding understandingly as she let go off her brother and ran after him through the darkness of the forest.

They ran until they were certain that no one was able to hear them. "We did it," Lyanna exclaimed, wrapping her arms tightly around Merlin's neck. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist, pulling her against him. Her head was buried in his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat which made all the worries in the world wash away. She was able to feel the warmth of his skin through the layers of clothing. Everything felt right in that moment. They stood there in each other's embrace for a while, neither of them wanting to be the one to end it.

It was eventually Lyanna who pulled back, noticing the sadness in Merlin's captivating eyes. On a sudden impulse, she slowly reached up on her tip toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. He felt his skin turn from cold to warm upon her contact. It wasn't just a physical warmth, however. It was a warmth he felt inside his heart; a feeling he'd never experienced before. He was overwhelmed by it, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

"Lyanna…" He whispered her name. "What was that for?" he asked once he had found his voice again.

Lyanna smiled faintly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm just grateful. We should get going. They will probably wonder where we are." A few seconds went by in silence until Lumiere came trotting towards them. The princess stroked his pinks muzzle. "Where is your horse, Merlin?"

"Probably back with the knights," the warlock shrugged. "I don't mind walking back to the castle. It's not that far."

Lyanna wasn't too pleased with his answer, and shot him a look. "No way. I won't let you. Come on. We can ride on Lumiere together."

Merlin seemed hesitant, watching her mounting her horse as she extended her hand to him. Putting all his emotions aside he accepted her hand as she helped to pull him into the saddle before her. The warlock grabbed the reins of Lumiere as he felt her wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, making both their cheeks flush. Lyanna realized that he felt more muscular than she had imagined him too be. Yet it had been hard to notice them since he always wore baggy clothes.

Merlin was chatting peacefully about his childhood back in Ealdor as Lyanna listened intently to every word that he said. The ride back was short, and when they both saw the moonlight bathing the idyllic landscape of Camelot in silver light. The occasional lightning bug flickered gold in the bushes or overhead to add even more jewels to the glittering velvet black of the night sky.

"Thank you," Lyanna said gratefully as Merlin placed his hands upon her hips and gracefully lifted her from her saddle. Although it had gotten rather chilly outside, her cheeks were still feeling rather warm. The stable boy brought Lumiere back towards the stable while they made their way inside the castle.

By the time they came running around the corner at the end of the corridor, both sorcerers were wearing the same smile and they saw Lancelot standing in front of the door. Their smiles faded. "What's happening? Why aren't they letting you in?" Lyanna asked curiously.

"They are deciding my fate."

From where they stood they were able to catch bits and pieces of the argument the king and Arthur were having inside the council chamber. Their voiced were tensed and raised. Merlin nodded enthusiastically. "They'll restore your knighthood, of course they will. You killed the griffin."

"But I didn't kill the griffin," Lancelot stated, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening. "You two did."

Lyanna laughed nervously. "That's ridiculous."

"_Bregdan anweald gafeluec," _Lancelot recited, giving a little smile at the sorcerers worried looks. Neither of them could believe that they were caught this fast. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. But I cannot take the credit for what I did not do. There'll be no more lies, no more deceit."

"What are you going to do?" Merlin asked doubtfully.

"The only thing that I can do." Lancelot turned and barged into the council chambers, followed by a confused Lyanna and Merlin.

"What's this?" Uther demanded to know, as Lancelot bowed to the King and Prince of Camelot. Lyanna and Merlin stood in the doorway, watching the scene unfold in front of their eyes.

"Forgive me, Sire. I've come to bid you farewell," Lancelot said, surprising everyone.

Lyanna clenched her hands into fists. She couldn't believe that this was happening. He was supposed to stay here, and become a wonderful knight. "What is this, Lancelot?" Arthur asked with disbelieve.

"I lied to you both and now there is conflict between you. I cannot bear that burden, as you should not bear mine. I must start again, far from here. Then, maybe one day fate shall grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy Knight of Camelot."

Arthur looked at him in astonishment. "But...Lancelot, you've...already proved that to us."

"But I must prove it to myself," Lancelot explained. He bowed once more before walking out the council chamber, leaving behind a confused Arthur and Lyanna, and a very pleased King Uther.

Lyanna cursed inwardly and looked at her father. "Are you pleased now, Father? You've let the finest knight this kingdom will ever have go!" With that she rushed out of the council chamber. She had enough of everything and longed for some rest.

"My Lady," she heard a familiar voice say. Lancelot stood before her in the hallway. "I wanted to thank you for everything that you've done for me. I wish that there was a way that I could repay you for your kindness."

She smiled brightly at him. "By fulfilling your dream, Lancelot. Become the man you've always wanted to be."

"Good bye, Lady Lyanna," he said. Lancelot bowed before her.

"Good bye, Lancelot. May luck follow you and I hope that our paths will cross again in the future," she replied hopefully and watched him disappear around the corner. She do hoped with all her heart that she would see him again someday and that he would finally be a fine knight that he's destined to be.

* * *

The following morning Lyanna was fidgeting with some fresh flowers that Lancelot had given to Gwen for her, before he was preparing to leave. She still felt anger at her father for letting an honorable knight like him go away because he wasn't noble, but she knew that there was nothing that she could do to change his mind. Lancelot had no other choice than to start all over somewhere else.

"Gwen," Lyanna said as she saw her maid staring out of the window. "Are you alright?"

Gwen broke out of her trance. "Oh yes." Lyanna made her way over to her only to see Lancelot leaving Camelot.

"Don't worry, Gwen. I'm sure that our paths will lead him to him again in the future."


	7. A Remedy to Cure All Ills

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Thanks for the reviews!

**KattieWatsonHolmes: Your kind review really brought a big grin to my face and I'm glad that you like it. I do hope you have enough time in the future to watch all of the episodes because it's really worth it, dear ;) And awh thanks. It means a lot to me that you say that and I feel flattered. And I'm more than grateful tht you're coming along with me on this journey! :) You're an absolute sweetheart x**

**fanfictionlover05: Thank you for reviewing! ^^ I hope you like the next chapter as well. **

**A/N- **I updated sooner than I originally intended but that was because this isn't the longest chapter out there and I had already finished writing, so I decided not to let you guys wait any longer. I hope you all like this next update!

**Please enjoy the chapter :)**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter seven: A remedy to cure all ills.**

Lyanna made her way through the courtyard, and stepping through the door, twisting to avoid knocking her basket against the post. Warm sunshine cast a golden light over the town, but wasn't warm enough to make her uncomfortable. In all, a most agreeable day.

This morning she had woke up before dawn, too restless to fall asleep again. She had decided to go for a ride on Lumiere to clear her head while the entire castle was still fast asleep. The clear air in the forest felt good to her lungs, and she rode between the trees for a few hours until the first sunrays crept between the branches. While she had walked she had spent her time usefully by gathering some herbs that Gaius might need in the future to make some potions. She even plucked some white flowers that looked lovely at this time of the year.

As she walked through the corridors of the castle she saw how everyone was slowly waking up, and the day was starting. She ran into Gwen who was carrying some flowers for Morgana, and arranged that she could deliver those herself.

"Look what's just arrived for you," Lyanna said cheerfully, entering the chambers of the King's ward. From all the people here in Camelot Lyanna only spent a little of her time with Morgana. Maybe it was because the two of them were as different as day and night. That didn't mean that she didn't value Morgana's friendship, because she sure did. She often thought that Morgana was too busy to want to spend time with her.

Morgana was standing before the table, already dressed, and turned to face her. Her face lightened up as she saw the flowers. "Who are they from? And where is Gwen?"

Lyanna shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they are from Arthur," she teased with a grin and saw Morgana flush. "I ran into Gwen and told her that I would be bringing the flowers instead," she clarified.

"You were up early then," Morgana declared as she took the flowers and sniffed at them.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered indifferently. "I went for a ride through the forest to clear my head."

Morgana placed the flowers into a vase, touching them up a little. "Is something troubling you, Lyanna?"

"No, I'm alright. Anyway I should get going again. I just wanted to check in on you to see how you were doing," Lyanna said. "Besides I was wondering if you would like to practice archery with me?"

It only took a few seconds for Morgana to accept her offer. Together the two of them spend on the training ground practicing their archery for the entire morning. The rest of the afternoon they had walked through the market streets with Gwen. They chatted peacefully as they bought some fabrics, or admired the amazing jewelry.

By the time they had made their way back to the castle Lyanna had made her way to the physician's chambers to hand Gaius the herbs that she had found in the woods. After talking with the old man for a while until she had dinner. During dinner had father told them about his activities, and so did Arthur.

When dinner was finished, Lyanna retreated into her chamber where she decided to read after sending Gwen home for the night. Her chamber was close to that of Morgana, and was next to that of Arthur. Sometimes she was able to hear Merlin and Arthur bantering to each other through the thick walls.

* * *

The following morning Morgana woken by a loud knock on her door, when someone stormed into her chambers. She immediately sat straight up in the bed, seeing Gwen hurrying towards her, holding back her tears.

"What's the matter?" Morgana asked, jumping out of her comfortable bed to reassuringly place her hand on her Servant back. "You can tell me, Gwen."

"It's Lady Lyanna," she choked out.

Morgana's already big eyes widened. "What happened to her?"

"She's ill. Very ill. The King has asked for Gaius to look after her. I thought it would be wise to wake you so you can see her yourself." The King's ward was already hurrying towards the door. "You can't go out like this! You're still in your nightdress. Please calm down, and get dressed before you leave."

Gwen was right. It wouldn't do anyone good if she was standing there in nothing but her nightdress. Gwen weaved a part of Morgana's black hair to the left side of her head. She changed into a comfortable, silk maroon dress, with long sleeves.

As soon she was finished with getting dressed Morgana stormed into the chamber of Uther's daughter only to see Lyanna sleeping in her bed. The color seemed to have faded out of her skin. "I came here as soon as I could," Morgana said as Uther wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "What happened to her?"

Gaius was examining Lyanna. "Her body seems to have closed down."

"Why? You don't have an answer do you? Nothing you've tried so far has worked. And what do you know?" Uther snapped, clearly losing his temper.

"There is no need to get angry at Gaius. He's doing all that he can," Morgana stood up for the old physician. Getting frustrated surely wasn't going to solve the problem. They had to remain calm for Lyanna's sake.

"I fear she may have some form of inflammation of the brain," Gaius informed the royal family.

Morgana's body tensed. This couldn't be happening. She had seen Lyanna the day before, and she had looked alright. Maybe there was something she hadn't noticed the previous day. Something underneath her skin…

_"_What could possibly cause such a thing?" Uther wanted to know.

"I suspect an infection. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to cure her, Sire," Gaius assured him. Morgana seemed to notice that her made no promise because he wasn't sure if he could cure her.

Uther left the chamber after that because he had business to attend with the Royal Court. Gaius had sent Merlin to the woods to gather some healing herbs, which had taken him a few hours to bring back.

Morgana refused to leave her friends side, and occasionally kept pressing a cold cloth against the forehead of the princess. She couldn't seem to comprehend that something like this could happen. From what she knew Lyanna had always been extremely healthy, and had rarely gotten sick during her live here at Camelot.

She had sat there with Gaius thinking of remedies for many hours, but they weren't able to come up with a remedy against the mysterious disease, or what could've caused it. By the time that Arthur and Uther entered the chamber Gaius started to explain what they knew. "We cannot preserve her life for much long. She has hours, maybe less," Gaius told them grimly.

"We cannot let her die!" Arthur protested, his arms crossed.

"Arthur, please," Morgana reasoned, standing up from her chair. "Gaius is doing everything that he can."

The prince sighed. "There is a man. He came to the castle today. He claims that he can cure her."

Morgana exchanged a brief look with Gaius. "That's ridiculous," Uther objected doubtfully. "He doesn't even know what's wrong with her."

"He says he has a remedy that can cure all ills."

"Impossible," Gaius and Morgana said in union.

"Well, for Lyanna's sake, surely we should at least hear him out. I mean, what've we got to lose? Please, father," Arthur begged. The King's ward could tell how desperate Arthur sounded, and couldn't help but feel extra sorry for him. She wanted Lyanna back more than anything, but she didn't want to send in some stranger she didn't know who made false promises. That meant asking for troubles.

"Probably some charlatan hoping for a quick shilling," Gaius murmured, thinking the same thing as Morgana was.

"I don't care!" Arthur almost yelled. "If she's about to die, what harm can it do? Give him his shilling! If there's one chance in a million he can save her, then why not?"

That seemed to have convinced the King. "Send for him," he ordered.

Apparently Arthur knew where to find this man and had sound out some guards to fetch this strange man. It had taken less than a half an hour until they were gathered in the council chamber. Morgana stood between the King and Arthur, eying the man with a raised eyebrow.

"Edwin Muirden, Sire. Physician and loyal servant," the man introduced himself, kneeling before them.

"Welcome to Camelot," Uther said, walking past him.

"Have we met before?" Gaius asked, with knitted eyebrows.

"I doubt that you would forget a face like mine, sir," Edwin responded, standing up.

"Do you really believe you have a remedy that can cure my daughter?" Uther asked, getting straight to the point.

Edwin nodded. "There are not many ills that have not seen and successfully treated, Sire. So when I heard of princess Lyanna's sickness, I felt honor bound to offer my services."

In the meanwhile Merlin entered the council room, leaning against the wall as he listened to whatever this strange man had to stay. He wondered if this man was truly able to cure the Lyanna. He sure hoped that he was. Things sure would change if Lyanna wouldn't survive this. He didn't want to think about it.

"You say you have a cure for all? An antidote for everything?" the old physician asked, not sounding too convinced, as he took a step forwards.

"Yes," Edwin assured him. "Although it is not quite as simple as that."

"Gaius is the court physician," Morgana cleared up, not trusting the strange man for one bit.

"You are indeed a legend, Sir. I am delighted to meet you." Edwin bowed before him. "I am curious to know what it is that has affected her."

"An infection of the brain," Gaius responded.

"And your treatment?"

"Yarrow."

"Yes, yes."

"Rosemary to stimulate cerebral circulation," Gaius continued.

"Interesting," Edwin muttered to himself.

"Why?" Morgana interfered, crossing her arms. "What would you suggest if you were him?"

"No, no, no, that is all fine," Edwin assured. "All good. If that is… the right diagnosis." Morgana couldn't help but think that this stranger knew something more that they didn't, and that was the reason what has brought him here.

"What would your diagnosis be?" Uther asked, handing something to the stranger.

"Well," Edwin started, taking the roll of parchment. "Without examining the patient…"

That seemed to give the prince an idea. "He should examine her, father."

"I would need my equipment," Edwin said in return.

"Of course," Uther agreed. "You'll have use of one of the guest chambers in the castle."

"And consider my manservant at your disposal," Arthur offered.

Edwin bowed gratefully before them. "I will stark work immediately."

Merlin tried to hide his doubt while he placed down some of Edwin's equipment on the table shortly after that. The stranger was already busy looking through his stuff. "Yes… it was all originally designed for alchemy," Edwin explained, noticing the curiosity in the servant's eyes.

"Making gold?"

"You have an interest in science?"

"Well, science if knowledge," Merlin answered, nodding.

Edwin straightened himself. "It has the answer to everything."

That didn't seem to fully convince Merlin, and he tried to contain his smirk. "Maybe." He looked around him, before looking back at the physician. "I can't explain love."

He chuckled quietly. "So, you are in love? With princess Lyanna perhaps?"

His question seemed to cause Merlin's cheek to flush crimson. "No," he quickly answered, smiling nervously. "I mean feelings, emotions."

"You seem too bright to be just a servant."

"Oh, don't be fooled, I'm not that bright," Merlin responded, smiling. He knew that if Lyanna would hear him know she would sure be laughing. Oh, how he missed her hearing her sweet laugh. His attention was then drawn to a strange wooden box on the table, which he curiously picked it up.

As soon as Edwin noticed that, he grasped it out his hands. "Yes, we will need that. Now, we must hurry to princess Lyanna. Before it is too late."

Merlin was carrying Edwin's supplies across the courtyard until they reached Lyanna's chambers where Arthur and Uther were waiting for them. Lyanna was still lying under the covers, barely alive. Morgana was seated beside the bed, holding the hand of the princess reassuringly.

"Put my equipment over there," Edwin motioned towards the table, where Merlin placed the equipment's. "Sire, I would be grateful if you could have everyone leave the room. I require peace and privacy."

Uther nodded understandingly, pulling Morgana with him. "Certainly."

Everyone started to exit the room while the old physician remained in the room, curious to find out what he was going to do. "That includes you, Gaius," Edwin told him.

"But I am eager to learn from your methods," Gaius objected, not wanting to leave at all.

"Now is not the time for giving instructions. I will need all my concentration."

Merlin decided to pull Gaius with him outside the chambers, before a fight would start between the two physicians. As soon as he closed the door the physician started to speak. "I don't trust that man for one bit," Gaius complained as the two of walked through the corridors, crossing his arms. "Don't you think that it's suspicious that princess Lyanna gets sick by an unknown disease, while only he has a cure? I believe that he knows more than he is saying."

* * *

It hadn't taken long until Edwin was finished with his examination. While he told them what he had found out Merlin decided to check up on Lyanna himself. He quietly entered the chambers seeing the princess sitting up straight in her bed.

"You're better!" Merlin exclaimed, rushing towards the side of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Lyanna smiled happily at him. "I am exhausted and I have a headache. Besides that I'm alright. What happened?" The pain wasn't too bad and she was used to worse.

The servant sat down beside the bed, telling her everything that had happened since she had gotten ill. As soon as he mentioned Edwin she couldn't help but be a bit suspicious.

"I don't know what to think of him," Lyanna said once he was finished. "I can only say that I am grateful to still be here. I really thought that I was drawing my last breath. I want to thank you, just for helping Edwin."

He smiled down at her. "I'm just as grateful as you are that you're still here."

Before Lyanna could say anything else her father entered the chambers, followed by Arthur, Morgana, Gaius and the stranger that had healed her. Half of his face was burned years ago, a sign that he was caught on fire once. "Lyanna," Uther said, rushing to her side while Merlin immediately rose from his chair. "This truly is a miracle." He kissed her forehead.

"I thought…" Morgana started, grabbing the hand of the princess. "We really thought…"

"Oh, you won't get rid of me that easily," Lyanna told them, grinning cheerfully.

"What exactly did he give you?" Gaius asked with interest.

Lyanna shook her head. "I have no idea, Gaius," she answered honestly. "I only just woke up when he had already cured me." Gaius gave her a warm smile before he walked out the chambers. Uther followed shortly after with Arthur, telling her to meet him in the council chamber in one hour.

"Did I miss anything while I was asleep?" Lyanna asked, eying them curiously.

"Not really," Morgana replied, smiling. "You weren't asleep for that long. Nearly a day. Everyone was just desperate to try to find a method that could cure you. The weird thing was that Gaius was convinced that you had an infection of the brain, and that it was a lost cause since your body wasn't reacting to his treatment. Only Edwin found something else. According to him you had a cerebral haemorrhage, and he was able to treat it. Isn't it a miracle?"

Since Lyanna had studied healing many times with Gaius she knew what that meant. She wanted to know how a stranger was able to cure something so difficult, and how Gaius hadn't been able to find it. Something didn't feel right with her. She had to talk to Edwin about this. Lyanna exchanged a brief look with Merlin, before focusing on Morgana. "It sure is," she said with a faint smile, trying to sound convincing.

"I should get going now," Morgana stated, standing up. "I shall send Gwen to assist you with getting dressed. I will see you downstairs."

As soon as the door of her chamber closed Lyanna spoke, "Don't you agree how odd it is that Edwin was able to defect the cause of my illness, while Gaius wasn't? I can't help but feel that something is wrong." She slowly climbed out of the bed, running her fingers through her blonde hair.

"I don't know," Merlin responded hesitant. "It agree with you that everything sounds odd, but –"

"No, buts," Lyanna interrupted him. "I'm coming with you to Edwin later, and I'm going to ask him how he found out the cause. Besides I'm feeling fine." She made her way over to the chamber fold where she started to change her white nightgown into light green dress, with long sleeves, and a silver belt. Normally she didn't feel very comfortable wearing dresses, but slowly she was beginning to get more used to them.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Merlin carefully objected, not fully convinced yet.

"Stop being such a coward, Merlin," she responded and reappeared from the chamber fold, completely dressed. "Let's go downstairs to see what my father wants." Before the servant could object again Lyanna grabbed his wrist and pulled him along with her out of her chambers, and through the corridors. They reached the council chamber where her father, Arthur and Morgana were already waiting.

She was to take place in the seat behind Uther, while Morgana sat on the other side. Morgana grabbed her hand in a way to comfort the princess for everything that had happened to her. Merlin stood beside Arthur while Edwin entered the council chamber. "Name your reward," Uther said when he stood before them.

"I desire nothing more than the good health of my patient, Sire," Edwin humbly objected, slightly bending his head.

The King wasn't convinced. "There must be something I can do for you."

"No," he told him. "I will wait until princess Lyanna is fully recovered, and then I'll be on my way."

Uther stood. "Why don't you stay awhile? You could live here in the palace."

"No. I – I feel I would be trespassing. And you already have a court physician."

"I'm sure Gaius would be glad of your help," Lyanna suggested. If she wanted to find out what this man was hiding she had to make sure that he would stay here for a while. Of course she had to make sure that he wouldn't be staying here too long in case her father would offer him a permanent position.

"It is a kind offer, but…"

"Think about it," Uther reasoned with him. "Dine with me later. Give me your decision then."

"To dine with Your Majesty would be reward in itself," Edwin said gratefully. He bowed before them.

By the time they were finished in the court room Lyanna followed Merlin through the corridors of the castle, until they reached the guest chamber where Edwin was staying. Merlin knocked on the wooden door, and where there didn't came any respond they slowly entered it. "Maybe we can find something suspicious," Lyanna whispered quietly.

They both examined the equipment that was spread at the table, looking for something unusual. At a first look they didn't notice anything, until Merlin picked up a strange brown box, making Lyanna curious as well.

He opened it, and inside the small box were many tiny beetles, which looked as if they were dead. Merlin closed it again. Merlin noticed a strange description on the top of the box, and read it out loud. "_Bebeode þe arisan ealdu_." When they heard a strange noise Merlin opened the box again, only this time to see the beetles moving.

Lyanna quickly duck behind a pillar when she heard footsteps in the corridor and only a second later the door opened and Erwin entered his chambers. "Very good," he said impressed as he observed Merlin. The princess sucked in her breath as Merlin knocked over a jar with powder in it. Immediately his gaze locked with Lyanna's, but he understood that she was hiding.

Edwin walked towards him, while Merlin handed him the box. He opened it, and chanted, "_Swefn._" The beetles inside the box froze again. They now knew for sure that this man was hiding something. "You have magic."

"It wasn't me," Merlin objected softly, trying to play innocent for as long as possible. "I didn't do anything. It just happened."

"Then how else did you bring them to life? Only magic can do such a thing." Lyanna could only stare at the burn wound that covered half of his face. "These little angels are how I cured the Lady Lyanna. They repaired the damage to her brain. They saved her life." He closed the box and placed it back on the table, while he paced through his chamber. "Magic can be force for good."

At the thought of a little bug inside her head, Lyanna couldn't help but feel disgusted. Her body was shaking with anger. She wanted to change force herself towards his and beat him to pulp, and was having trouble with containing herself. There was something more that he wasn't telling. She could feel it.

"I know," Merlin muttered.

"Then why do you fear it?"

"Because Uther has banned it," Merlin responded quietly. "It is not permitted."

"Should I have let her die instead?"

_Yes, _Lyanna wanted to say, but Merlin was faster. "No."

She eyed him curiously for a brief second, before focusing on Edwin again. "People like us, we have a gift. Do you not think it should be used to make this a better world?"

His words made her think for a moment. Even though she had only discovered that she had magic a month ago she was already exhausted from lying. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops so she could be accepted, but she knew that she wouldn't. All that they could do was keeping silent.

Merlin started to clean up the powder that he had spilled earlier. "Don't waste your time picking that up," Edwin interrupted him. "_Feormian dærst rénian." __They all watched how the powder magically flew back into the jar. Merlin smiled with fascination. "Why waste a talent like that? I could teach you."_

Edwin stood beside the young warlock, waiting for him. Lyanna didn't exactly feel like using magic with someone who had put a bug in her ear. The only thing that she did feel like doing was changing this man into a toad, but since she didn't know that spell she decided to keep a safe distant from him.

"_Rǽdan ásce géatan." _The jar poured the powder into a bowl, and landed back onto the table. Merlin smiled at what he had done.

"What do you use this for?" Edwin asked, eying the servant of the prince.

Lyanna pressed her lips together. "Gaius doesn't like us to," Merlin answered.

"A gift like yours should be nurtured, practiced, enjoyed. You need someone to help you, to encourage you. Imagine what we could achieve, if we shared our knowledge."

The princess had enough to this slimy toad, and was done with this conversation. She couldn't believe what she heard, and hoped for his sake that he didn't meant it like that. "I've heard enough of this," she almost shouted when she exposed herself. Tears were burning in her eyes when she looked at Edwin. She grabbed Merlin's hand and dragged him with her to the door. "We thank you for your time, but we should get going. Good bye." With that she slammed the door shut behind her.

"Lyanna," Merlin called, trying to reason her. "Lyanna! Calm down."

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that she was running through the corridors of the castle, and was stopped by Merlin pulling her into her chambers, and closing the door. His hands grabbed her shoulders, and turned her to face him. "Listen to me," he started placidly, meeting her hazel eyes. "Take a deep breath."

Surprisingly enough his calmness and the sound of his voice had effect on her, and she obeyed him. Her breathing slowed down again. Before she knew it she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his body stiffen at her touch, but calmed down after a second. He returned her embrace by wrapping his strong arms around her waist, pulling her closer against him. Lyanna buried her head into his chest, while Merlin's fingers ran through her hair.

Lyanna couldn't remember the last time that she had felt like a wreck. She wanted to scream at the world out of anger, and confusion, but knew that wouldn't do any good. The only thing that she needed now was reassurance.

"It's going to be alright," he assured her, his voice soft as if he was able to read her thoughts. She listened to his steady heartbeat which made all her worries wash away. She was able to feel the warmth of his skin through the layers of clothing, and was surprised by how comfortable she felt. Both of them did.

Never before had Lyanna done this with someone other than a family member, but for some reason it felt right. They both stood there for an unknown while, enjoying each other's presence. It was eventually Lyanna who freed herself from his pleasant grasp. "Thank you," she said gratefully, blinking away some tears. "I needed that."

"It was my pleasure," Merlin replied chuckling nervously and gently rubbed the dried up tears away from her cheek. "I should get going to see if Arthur needs anything. You should get some rest. You've been through a lot."

When he mentioned that she couldn't contain a yawn, causing both of them to laugh. "I guess that you're right," she agreed with him. "Thanks again, Merlin."

He gave her a warm smile. "Good night, Lyanna." With those words quietly closed the door behind him, leaving a flustered princess behind. That night Lyanna slept solemnly, still feeling rather drugged from what she had gone through.

* * *

"Lyanna, wake up." A voice grumbled. Lyanna opened one hazel eye and saw Arthur standing above her, looking at her with a bright smile. She sat up and noticed Morgana sitting at the end of her bed.

"What are you two doing here?" Lyanna asked, running her fingers through her hair.

"We came to check on you," Arthur answered truthfully, behaving like the older brother that he was. "We just wanted to make sure that you were doing alright after what you've been through."

Morgana nodded, standing up from the bed. "It's almost noon and we didn't want to wake you. We couldn't help but get worried. How are you feeling today?"

Lyanna smiled at both of them, kicking the covers away. "I do appreciate the concern. I'm feeling fine." After the incidents of yesterday she felt much better. She had slept like a baby, and the pain in her head had vanished, which had made it easier to think again. The only thing that she required was a long hunt through the forest, but she knew that she couldn't run away like that. There were other matters that required her presence now.

Both Morgana and Arthur looked relieved with that answer. "It pleases me to hear that. I wanted to let you know that father requires your presence in the council chamber," Arthur informed her. "Once you're dressed that is. Don't let him wait too long."

She nodded understandingly while Arthur exited her chambers. "I've given Gwen the day off, so let me help you get dressed," Morgana offered.

There wasn't any time to argue, because the King's ward already gestured her towards the chamber fold where she helped her into the same dress that she wore the previous day. Her blonde hair had gotten quite long and fell to the end of her back, but Morgana easily weaved it into a knot. When they entered the council chamber Lyanna sat down in a chair beside her father and Morgana, while Arthur sat further away.

"I'm happy to see that you're doing alright, my dear," Uther said gratefully, squeezing into her hand. At that moment Lyanna could only feel grateful for the things that were given to her in her life. She had a loving family and amazing friends. Only she missed Marie. Thinking of her former servant still was a sharp memory. Perhaps the sharp edged needed to be smoothened first.

She gave him a smile. "As do I, father."

Edwin entered the council chamber. "I have been through the court medical records with a fine-tooth comb, Sire," he said. Lyanna raised one of her eyebrow, as she didn't understood what was going on. Something had happened during her absence last night.

"And were your findings satisfactory?" Uther wanted to know.

"With regret, I would have to say they were not."

"How so?" The King bended a little forward out of curiosity.

"Gaius is a great man, thorough, and dedicated," Edwin retorted and sighed. "His methods are outdated. He has failed to keep up with the latest developments. This has led to a number of errors."

At that Lyanna couldn't help but feel the same anger boiling as the night before. This man was obviously up to something to frame Gaius, and she couldn't believe what he was saying. "Gaius has Served this family well for 25 years," the princess came between them, wanting to defend the honor for the man she dearly cared for.

"And one cannot blame him for the infirmity those years have brought," Edwin explained. "Age can be a terrible curse."

The words of the physician had a different effect on Lyanna than that they had on the King, who seemed to believe him. "Perhaps it is time to lighten his burdens. Have you given any thought to my offer?" _Which offer, _Lyanna wanted to ask them. She hated being left in the dark.

"Yes," Edwin said. "I have considered it very carefully."

"Allow me some time to do the same."

Edwin bowed and exited the chamber. Uther stood up from his chair to get something to drink from the table, Lyanna immediately followed him. "Father, you can't do this," she objected placidly.

"You heard what he said, Lyanna. Gaius is old, he makes mistakes."

"We all make mistakes. Gaius has treated this family for many years and knows what he's doing. You can't cast him out like a sack of potatoes. He has taught me well."

"You would have died if you care had been left to him," Uther responded, taking a sip from the wine. "That's something I could not bear. I know that you care greatly for the man, but something like this can't happen again. Edwin can also teach you whatever he knows."

"I don't want to learn from that snail," Lyanna snapped, storming out of the chamber. She couldn't believe that her father was willing to put a man aside so easily, who had been their friend for many years. How could he replace him for someone so obscure?

The rest of the day went by slowly. Lyanna spent most of her time riding on Lumiere through the woods in the hope to clear her head, which didn't seem to work. It was late in the evening when she was found by the knights and escorted back to the castle, because she wasn't permitted to ride alone after nightfall. Especially not after what she had just been through. It was a couple of hours after dawn when Lyanna entered the physician chambers only to find Gaius packing his belongings, while Merlin stood beside him.

"Please don't tell me that my father sacked you," she said with a weak voice, which was barely hearable.

"I cannot stay when there's no longer a use for me," Gaius explained, placing something in his suitcase.

"You're not leaving?" Merlin asked with disbelieve.

"I believe it's for the best."

Merlin paused, trying to hold back the tears. "Then I will come with you."

Caught up in the moment Lyanna stepped forwards, grabbing Merlin's wrist. "We both are. I cannot watch you leave, Gaius. You are too precious for me to lose."

Gaius looked up from his suitcase. "You are both like my own children. I never expected such a blessing so late in life."

"And you are more than father to us," Merlin replied, his voice sounding cranky.

He gave them a faint smile while he made his way towards them. "Then, as a father, I must tell you, you must remain here. Camelot is where you two belong."

"But you belong here too." Lyanna chocked on the verge of tears. "You belong here with us. We need you." She was telling the truth. During the time that she had got to know him she had found more comfort with the physician than she had with her own father. The thought of not having him around anymore was more terrifying, than revealing her magic in front of Uther.

"Not anymore," Gaius said. He placed his hands on their shoulder. "You two must promise me you will not waste your gifts."

"My gifts mean nothing without you to guide me," Merlin replied emotionally. Lyanna could tell that Merlin was close to crying and she reassuringly squeezed his hand in the hope to comfort him just he had done last night.

"Together the two of you have a great destiny. If I have had a small part to play in that I'm pleased."

Lyanna throat was sore from holding back the tears, so she couldn't speak. "There is so much we have yet to learn. We need you to teach us," Merlin said exactly what she was thinking.

"I'm afraid I'm leaving here tonight. And there is nothing you can do or say that can persuade me otherwise," Gaius warned them, focusing his attention back on his suitcase.

"We will not let this happen," Merlin said. He grabbed Lyanna's hand and pulled her out of the chambers with him. The two of them walked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Lyanna couldn't comprehend that this was really happening. Her biggest fear was coming true, and she hated the feeling of not being able to do something about it. They walked towards the training ground where they found Arthur swinging with his sword at a dummy. They made their way over to him, and watched him practicing for a moment.

"I can't understand why Uther would sack him over one mistake," Merlin said, breaking the silent between them.

Arthur faced his servant. "A mistake that nearly killed my sister. Besides, it wasn't the only one."

"What do you mean?"

Lyanna sighed. "Edwin said that his work was riddled with errors. Of course that is absolute nonsense. I don't trust this man."

"He saved your life, Lyanna –"

"I'm aware of that, Arthur," she interrupted him. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. Something just doesn't make sense about all this. He's hiding something. Mark my words."

Lyanna walked away, heading back towards the castle. The rest of the day she sat in Morgana's chambers with the King's ward and Gwen, while she thought of a way reveal the truth about the new physician. Unfortunately her pondering didn't resolve in an answer, and she felt more useless with every passing second.

* * *

It was after nightfall when the princess was walking through the castle with Merlin. She had helped him with washing Arthur's clothes and learning him some tricks to make the clothes even cleaner. They had descended the small stairs and were headed towards the chamber of Arthur, when the prince himself called for them. "Lyanna! Merlin!" He hurried towards them with large paces, looking rather frightened. "Our father has the same sickness as you had. We must find Edwin."

While Arthur ran back from the way he came, Merlin dropped the clothes on the ground and ran in the other direction. Lyanna didn't have to think twice about following the warlock through the corridors.

"It smells like something is burning here," Lyanna remarked when they walked past the chamber of the new physician. She hastily opened the door, only to find Gaius standing against a pillar in the middle of a circle of flames, with Edwin standing in front of him. At the sight of old physician in need she felt her heart break. "What are you doing?" she asked, nearly fuming when she look at Edwin.

"He was going to kill the King. I couldn't let him," Gaius explained defeated.

"I can rule the kingdom now," Edwin said. "And with you two at my side, we can be all-powerful."

Lyanna raised her upper lip. "I would rather kiss the backside of a donkey than work together with you. You are insane!"

"It's your loss, princess." She was too busy with looking at Gaius who desperately needed help before the flames would reach him than to see Edwin throwing an axe at her with a spell. Merlin bended backward, and stopped the axe, which now flew above his head. "_Swilte, Merlin_," Edwin chanted.

Merlin's magic overpowered his. He sent the axe back, which pierced Edwin right in his chest. The physician collapsed cold on the ground. They all stared for a few seconds until Lyanna let the flames disappear, freeing Gaius. She immediately rushed to his side, to pull him into an embrace. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "I am. Thanks, both of you." Merlin fetched the box that contained the beetles. "What are you doing?"

"Uther is ill. He has the same sickness as Lyanna has," the warlock explained. Both Lyanna and Gaius made their way over to him. "Edwin said he used these to cure her. Maybe we can too."

Gaius looked into the box. "Elanthia beetles."

"They're magical?" Lyanna asked.

"Yes. They can be enchanted to enter the brain, feed on it until they devour the person's very soul."

Lyanna's expression was blank. The more that she thought about what this freak had done to her, the more furious she got. "Let's not think about this for a second longer. My father needs our help now." The three of them hurried through the corridors as fast as they could until they reached the King's chambers. Here they found Uther lying in his bed, looking as white as his sheets. "How do we get the beetle out before it kills my father?" Lyanna asked.

"It can only be magic," Gaius replied.

Merlin looked at Lyanna. "We can't use magic on Uther, he'd kill us."

"We don't have a choice."

"Gaius!" Lyanna called out, not liking the sound of this idea.

He sighed. "There are times when it is necessary. It is your right," he told them.

"We don't know how," the princess responded, shaking her head. During her studies she had never encountered reading about an Elanthia beetle before, and had no idea what to do to stop it.

"If you two don't do anything he is going to die."

These words seem to have effect on them. "He's right. We can do this together," Lyanna suggested.

She grabbed his hand while she sat down on the bed. Merlin followed her example. They both placed one hand on Uther's ear, as they closed their eyes and took a deep breath. "_Bebeode Þe arisan ealdu. Áblinnen," __they both chanted._

_"__What's happening?" Gaius asked curiously when he couldn't see any changes. Merlin pulled his hand back, while he and Lyanna stood up. The small beetle was in the palm of his hand."Has anyone ever told you, that you are geniuses?" Gaius asked perplexed._

_"__You certainly haven't," Merlin responded. They started to laugh. _

When her father began to stir in his sleep Lyanna couldn't hold in her tear in any longer, _feeling the enormous weight of stress fall from her shoulders. _"I don't know how I can ever repay you two," she said quietly. "Not just for this, but for everything else that you've done for me so far. I've never expected such a blessing in my life."

Gaius placed a kiss on her forehead, before wrapping his arm around her shoulder to pull her against him. "You shouldn't thank me, my dear. You and Merlin did this," Gaius supplied, wrapping his other arm around his ward. "And I can't be more proud of my children." At that the three of them started to laugh quietly. The King was safe.

* * *

**Please review so I know what you wonderful people think :)**


	8. The Gates of Avalon

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

**KattieWatsonHolmes: I'm glad to hear that you've gotten a bit further with watching series one! Ah, you're far too kind. You always leave a big grin on my face and I'm super grateful for that :) Thank you so much for reviewing all the time, it honestly means the world to me. And you maybe need a wait a little bit until something may happen *hint hint hint* **

**A/N- **I'm honestly going to try to update once every week, but I'm quite busy with work so I'll do my absolute best. These chapters just take a long time to write so I need to have some time haha

**Please enjoy the next chapter :)**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter eight: The gates of Avalon**

Octobers in the wild put a chill into Lyanna's skin, but it was easy to ignore. This morning she was woken by Guinevere before dawn because her brother had asked for her presence during a hunting trip. She got dressed into a grey shirt, with long sleeves. With that she wore black breeches, and a brown leather corset top. Her short had been groomed neatly.

They had left Camelot when the first sunrays of the day crept over the trees. Ever since Lyanna had been eight years old she had been allowed to join the knight's on a hunting party. Wandering through the woods had always fascinated her and she enjoyed nature, while she tracked down fresh tracks. Occasionally the two siblings went hunting together. This hunting trip wasn't exactly a success because they had only managed to shoot a couple of rabbits so far. Most animals had fled the area, making it very difficult to encounter something.

Arthur got aware of the presence of a deer that was grazing quietly in a clearing. He sneaked through the woods, carrying a crossbow. He was about to shoot when Merlin stumbled out of the trees with speed and bumped into him.

"What is it?" the warlock asked, not seeing what he had done wrong.

"You really are a total buffoon, aren't you, Merlin?!" Arthur ranted, clearly losing his temper.

"You scared the deer away," Lyanna explained, remaining calm. She didn't feel like yelling at Merlin wasn't going to solve the problem.

"I was just asking," Merlin said.

"Who? Me or Lyanna? Or maybe the deer?! We're supposed to be hunting. It requires speed, stealth and an agile mind," Arthur snapped, pushing in his Servant face.

"So, you're able to get by on two out of three, then?" Merlin wondered out loud.

Lyanna chuckled. "Gentlemen, please. Bantering isn't going to get us anywhere. You're only going to scare everything away." Before anyone could answer they heard a woman screaming.

"What was that?" Merlin asked.

"Quiet," Arthur told him. He grabbed his sword from Merlin, while Lyanna unsheathed her own sword, following her brother through the woods. Within a minute they found an older man lying on the ground while a bandit drew is sword to kill him. A young woman struggled with three other purse snatchers.

"No, no, I beg you! Mercy!" the man cried out.

"Help me! Help me!" the woman begged desperately.

Both Arthur and Lyanna shot one of the robbers with their crossbow, while the other started to fight them. The old man got up, and held the girl while Arthur and Lyanna fought off the bandits. Lyanna was so caught up in the battle that she wasn't aware that one of the bandits was closing in on her. "ForbÆrnen firgenholt." She heard Merlin chant behind her. A large tree branch fell on top of the bandit. Arthur taunted the last bandit by twirling with his sword, and he ran off.

"Thank you," Lyanna whispered so only the warlock was able to hear her.

He gave her a wink in return. "And let that be a lesson to you!" Merlin shouted to the bandit that was running away in the distance. Arthur gave him a look, while Lyanna rolled with her eyes. "What? I was covering your back," Merlin explained dryly.

The princess chuckled quietly. "You sure are something, Merlin," she replied, giving him a pat on his shoulder before turning to the strangers.

Arthur was already standing before them. "You alright?" he asked concerned. "Did they hurt you?"

The old man let go off the girl, who slowly let the hood of her golden cloak fall down, exposing her face. She was about the same age as Lyanna was, with beads in her blonde hair, and a beautiful face.

"No… Thanks to you and your wife –"

"I'm not his wife," Lyanna corrected placidly, placing her hand upon her hips. "I'm his sister."

The girl nodded understandingly. "I'm Sophia. This is my father."

"Arthur Pendragon," her brother introduced himself. "At your service." He placed a kiss on Sophia's hand.

"I'm Lyanna Pendragon," the princess said, tilting her head. "And this here is Merlin, Arthur's manservant and loyal companion." At that introduction Merlin grinned, and nodded.

The old man bowed. "My name is Aulfric," he supplied. "I don't know how we can ever repay you for saving our lives."

"You can come back to Camelot with us. I'm sure that my father can help you," Arthur offered.

Lyanna was kind enough to offer Sophia to ride on Lumiere's back, while she held the reins to guide her horse. Merlin had done the same with Aulfric on his horse, while Arthur rode beside Sophia on his own horse. The ride back to Camelot was short, and it didn't take long until they escorted their guests into the council chamber. The two strangers stood before the court. Lyanna stood beside her brother, with Merlin on the other side.

"My name is Aulfric, heir to Tír-Mór. This is my daughter, Sophia," the old man introduced themselves.

"You're a long way from home. What brings you to Camelot?" Uther asked curiously.

"Our home was sacked by raiders, we barely escaped with what few possessions we could carry," Aulfric explained.

"These are dangerous times," the King agreed. "What will you do?"

"We travel west to Caerleon where we have family and, I hope, a new life."

Sophia smiled at the King. "You must stay here awhile, break your journey. A noble family like yours is always welcome in Camelot," Uther suggested.

Both Aulfric and Sophia bowed gratefully before him. Both Lyanna and Merlin noticed Arthur staring at Sophia when she exited with her father. Lyanna exchanged a look with Merlin, who was also doing his best not to burst into laughter. They both knew that the prince was pretty interested in the new guest.

"Arthur, you've got some drool on your chin. I suggest that you wipe it away before people will get the wrong impression," she joked, earning an angry glare in return. "There is no need to look at me like that."

"Do you expect me to hug you after you said something like that?" Arthur suggested, clearly being sarcastic.

"Nah," Lyanna muttered, shaking her head. "I don't want to get any drool on my clothes."

Arthur shot her another angry glare before pulling his arm around the neck of his twin sister, while he playfully rubbed through her auburn hair. She started to laugh hysterically. "Beg for mercy, Lyanna."

"Never," she responded. He continued for a while until eventually her sides began to hurt from laughter.

"Arthur that's enough," Uther interfered, standing before his children. Arthur let go off his sister. Lyanna ran her hand through her hair which now looked like birds nest. She noticed that Merlin had been watching the two siblings tease with an amused smirk on his lips. "Lyanna, what did you do this time?"

She sighed. "I teased the prince of Camelot, who obviously felt too offended. He ruined my hair as a form of payback."

Uther looked at them for a moment until he burst into laughter. "You two obviously have too much pride. I'm just grateful for the strong bond between you two." With those words the King exited the council chamber.

"You should be lucky that father came in to save you, else I wouldn't have released you – " Arthur started, but was interrupted by Lyanna who pulled his brown shirt over his head, and then twirled him around through the room. "Lyanna! Stop this!"

The princess laughed heartily. She turned to face Merlin who joined her laughter. "You should save him before he trips over his own feet." Lyanna hastily exited the council chambers, making her way towards the chambers of the King's ward, where she found Morgana looking out the window. "Morgana," Lyanna greeted, causing her to face her. "I didn't see you in the council chamber this morning. Are you alright?"

Her lips curled up into a fake smile. "I'm fine."

Lyanna could tell that Morgana lied to her about how she felt. Her skin was rather pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. "You don't have to lie to me," the princess replied, while she stood beside her. "I've seen that look before. You didn't sleep well last night, didn't you?"

She paused. "I had another dream. I saw Arthur lying under water, drowning, and there was a woman standing over him, watching him die."

"That sounds horrible. Did you recognize the woman?"

Morgana shook her head. "No, I did not."

Lyanna could tell that this was troubling her friend dearly, and she wished that she was able to do something about it. She did believe that some people were able to foresee the future, but wasn't too convinced whether or not Morgana possessed that gift. It could just be a nightmare.

"Do not think of it too much," Lyanna eventually said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure that we will find a way to stop it pretty soon."

Her words did seem to give Morgana some hope, who calmed down. "Thank you, Lyanna, for your kindness and your friendship. Let me brush your hair, while you explain to me what happened to it."

Lyanna spend a couple of hours roaming through the market streets with Morgana and Gwen. When it was late in the afternoon she practiced her sword fighting skills with Arthur into a friendly duel, which was won by her brother. The rest of the night went by peacefully. Lyanna sat next to the fireplace in the living room with her father, where she was reading another book about healing that Gaius had given to her.

* * *

"It's time to wake up, Milady," the sound of Gwen's cheerful voice woke her from her slumber, when she pulled open the curtain to let the morning light enter the room. Normally she woke up before Gwen would come, saving her maid the trouble of assisting her with getting dressed, but this morning she couldn't prevent it.

She changed her white nightgown for a forest green dress, with long sleeves, and a brown belt around her waist. Gwen placed a flower circlet in Lyanna's golden hair. It was still early in the morning when Lyanna was busy with mixing some potions together in the physician chamber. Gaius had gone out to look after some patients in the lower town, leaving her in charge of everything. When the door swung open she expected the physician to be back, but was surprised to see when Merlin entered covered in tomato paste. "Did you play with your food this morning?" Lyanna asked with a smirk.

He made a face at her, while he walked through the room. "The King put me in the stocks."

Lyanna gently placed the bottles back on the table. "What did you do this time?"

"Nothing," Merlin admitted. "Honestly, it wasn't my fault. Arthur wanted to get out of going on patrol with Uther and the guard, so I covered for him and took the blame."

She walked past him and poured a can of water into a bowl, and grabbed a towel. "Sit down," she ordered and waited for the warlock to obey. He sat down on a chair next to the table, while Lyanna started to wash the tomato out of his raven colored hair. "Does Arthur abandoning his duties have anything to do with Sophia?"

"He wanted to take her out for a day. He is besotted." Merlin was smiling happily while he told her.

"That doesn't sound like my brother at all," Lyanna responded doubtfully. "He's never fallen in love before and he wouldn't so quickly They've only just met."

"I know," Merlin agreed. "I guess it must have been love at first sight."

She smiled faintly, concentrating on getting every piece of tomato out of his hair. "I believe so. I have no idea what that would feel like, so I wouldn't know. I guess I'm going to end up as an old spinster, not being able to find love."

Her words caused Merlin to stand up straight. "You mustn't think that. I'm sure that you are going to find someone who will love every little thing about you," he told her.

"Do you honestly think so?" Lyanna asked with disbelieve. She could never imagine that someone would be stupid enough to fall in love with her.

He nodded a few times, while his gaze was transfixed upon hers. "Yes, I do. You're very loyal and have a good heart. Besides you're very beautiful. Someone would be foolish not to love you."

Lyanna blinked while she let his words sink and her cheeks flushed crimson. She didn't let go off his gaze. "Are you implying that –"

"Oh – I'm giving you the wrong idea. I didn't meant myself I –" he stammered nervously. "I uhm…"

"It's alright," Lyanna assured him. "Thank you, Merlin. No one has ever said something like that to me. I can guarantee you're future wife can praise herself very lucky with you." He smiled at her with a smile that held so much hope.

She caught him by surprise when she pulled him into an embrace. When he felt her head buried in his chest he held her tighter. This was a desire which had grown stronger for the both of them. They both longed each other's presence more than they cared to explain. Even though the two of them cared for each other as friends, they were both grateful to have each other. When she felt a drop of water fall in her neck, she pulled away. Lyanna picked up a towel from the table and started to dry his black hair, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Never forget that you are important to me."

* * *

It was early the next morning when Lyanna knocked on the door of her brother's chamber, waiting for a respond. When the door swung open Arthur nearly bumped into her as he tried to walk past her. "Arthur. Where are you heading this early?" the princess asked doubtfully. She had hoped that he had wanted to spend some time with her.

He turned to face her. "I'm heading towards Sophia. I want to ask her out for a day again, since it had gone wrong yesterday."

Oh. "Yes. I heard that she nearly got shot by one of the guards. Lucky you were there to save her. Do you really care for Sophia that you choose not to go to the bestowing of one of your men?" Lyanna wondered.

He nodded, and she noticed a sparkle in his eyes. "Yes, I do. She's incredible."

Lyanna cocked an eyebrow. "I hope for your sake that you're not moving rationally. You've only just met her," she replied doubtfully.

"I won't, Lyanna," he assured her, with irritation in his voice. "Now if you will excuse me." He gave her a simple smile before he made his way over to the nearby guest chamber where the guests were staying.

Just when Lyanna was about to turn around to see how Morgana was doing, she was being knocked on the ground by someone who bumped into with full force. She hit her head against the ground, causing her surroundings to spin.

"Lyanna," a familiar voice said hysterically. She could recognize that person without having to open her eyes. It was Merlin. "Lyanna. Oh God. I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you, and I was in a hurry. I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she responded with a cranky voice while Merlin pulled her back onto her feet. "I'm just a bit dizzy."

She could see the guilt in his eyes, which were as blue as the cloudless sky. "I'm so sorry," he apologized again.

"Don't be," she assured him. "I'll be fine. I just need to stay calm. Anyway where were you heading to?"

"I was on my way to find the King so I can come up with a reason why Arthur isn't going to be at the bestowing this," Merlin retorted.

Lyanna smirked at that. "Why don't you let me come up with an excuse today? We don't want a repeat of yesterday, or a foot shortage in Camelot."

He narrowed his eyes until he started chuckling. The two of them went to look for the King which they found in the council chamber. He was seated in his throne, and stood when he saw his daughter approaching. "Lyanna," he greeted, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I didn't expect to see you here this early. The bestowing isn't until later this morning."

"I'm aware of that, Father," she told him. "Does that mean that I'm not allowed to you see you before that?"

"Of course my daughter can always see me, my dear. It pleases me that you do," Uther replied, kissing the top of her hair. "Anyway I didn't think that you would come here just to chat. There is something else, isn't there?"

She could've known that her father could already be able to see through her when it came to stuff like that. "Alright, you got me. I came here to tell you that Arthur won't be present at the bestowing today. I made a bet with him yesterday, which he had lost. He's riding through the woods now to find a very rare herb which I need for a special healing potion that I'm creating with Gaius. Anyway he completely forgot about today's activities and asked me to tell you about it, Sire."

Uther eyed her curiously for a moment, until he burst into laughter. "It's alright. There is no need to worry. What was this bet about?"

"He was convinced that women only are interested into braiding their hair, so I told him that was nonsense. We had a race outside in nearby meadow, which he lost."

The King laughed, ruffling through her blonde hair. "You sure told him who the boss is. He needs to be put back on the ground with both feet now and then. You did a great job."

"Thank you, Father," Lyanna said in return. "If you will excuse me I must get back to Gaius to help him. I will see you at the bestowing."

"You don't have to come to the bestowing, my dear. I'm grateful that you took the time to tell me the truth about it. You should teach Arthur's servant how to do that," Uther responded, eying Merlin that stood beside her.

Lyanna held back her laughter. "I will look into it, Sire." She turned around and exited the council chamber, followed suit by Merlin. "And that is how you do it."

"Unbelievable," he gasped, keeping up with her steady pace. "How did you do it?"

"Merlin, he's my father. It surely isn't the first time that we lied to him like that. We've been doing that ever since we were little so it's not that big of a deal. I wish that I had made a bet with you about this." She laughed. Her dizziness was already fading.

"I'm glad that we didn't. I probably ended up walking in a dress through Camelot, and I'm not too fond about that idea," Merlin murmured in return.

Lyanna laughed heartily as she saw that image clear inside her head. "Will you care to go on a walk with me today? I could use some fresh air."

Merlin hesitated. "I'm not sure. I still have some duties to fulfill and if Arthur finds out that I didn't do them he will –"

"Relax, Merlin," Lyanna gently interrupted. "I will speak to Arthur about that later. It's not the first time that I will cover for you today." At that the warlock seemed to ease down a bit. "Meet me at the courtyard in ten minutes," she informed him before she walked away. She descended down the stairs and headed towards the palace kitchen where she started to gather some food for a lunch.

She could tell that the staff was rather confused about the presence of the princess in the kitchen, but not one of them dared to ask Lyanna what she was doing here exactly. They all watched her putting some food into a basket. By the time that she was finished she made her way towards the courtyard where Merlin was already waiting for her. He was looking around him nervously, probably not liking the idea of not knowing where they were going.

When he caught sight of her a bright smile appeared on his lips. "I was already wondering where you were, My Lady," he said. There were some guards around them so that was the reason why he was addressing her in that manner. He didn't want to draw any suspicion.

"I told you I would be here soon," she tried to make him remember. "Anyway, let's get going. This day is too beautiful to waste."

Merlin didn't argue with her, but followed her suit as she started to walk away. They left Camelot behind them and headed towards the forest. "Where exactly are we going?" Merlin wondered out loud.

She turned her head towards him. "Why must there always be a reason behind this? I just wanted to go for a walk without a destination."

"Well, I was just wondering. Since you're carrying that basket and all. Let me carry that for you," he kindly offered. He didn't wait for her to say something, but gently took over the basket from here. "What's in there anyway?"

"Why do you always ask so many questions, Merlin? What is wrong with the princess of Camelot taking her brother's manservant on a walk through the forest, and maybe treat him for lunch," Lyanna replied mysteriously.

"You're taking me out for lunch?"

She chuckled. "Yes, I am. Ever since you came here you've been working long days for Arthur and you deserve some time away from him. This is the perfect opportunity because my brother is nowhere around at this time. Just relax, Merlin. You deserve it."

After a while of walking they reached Lyanna's favorite secluded place near the river. They sat down together. The warm sun shone warmed their skins as they started to eat the lunch that Lyanna had packed for them. It may be late winter but it sure felt like a spring day.

He looked at her with his piercing eyes. "You sure have changed since I've met you," he suddenly said.

Lyanna bit her bottom lip. "You're saying that as if it's a bad thing."

"No, that's not what I meant. You've changed in a positive way. You're kinder, and caring. At first you were kind of rude to me. But now you're not anymore. I like you better this way."

Her hazel eyes widened. "I guess that's because I wasn't sure whether or not that I could trust you. When I turned out that you had magic and I also had it, I realized that I could trust you. You became a good friend and that's why I opened up. But I had no idea that you liked me better this way," she replied teasingly.

He sat up straight. "What's hard not to like about you now?"

"Merlin, are you – "

"No. No. That's not what I meant," he repeated again. Lyanna giggled quietly. She enjoyed teasing him like that. "I understand that I must've been hard to hide who you really are from your own family."

Their gazes met. "Surely it must've been hard for you as well to keep your secret like that from everyone. First back at Ealdor and now here in Camelot. Since I've discovered that I had magic, you've been kind enough to help me and for that I am grateful. It's also nice not to be alone anymore and to have someone at your side who understand what you're going through," Lyanna responded. She took a bite from her bread.

"I know that I'm just a servant and I don't matter, but it's indeed pleasant to not face all that on my own."

Lyanna exhaled deeply while their gaze remained locked. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it gently. "Merlin, you are much more to me than just a simple servant. You do matter a great deal, and not just to me. You've saved countless of people since you've come here and I cannot thank you enough for that. Camelot is in debt to you, even though they don't know that you were responsible for it. You shouldn't think so lowly of yourself. I should thank you more often for everything that you've done and will do in the future. You made the right decision for leaving Ealdor and coming here."

Merlin felt his heart beat increasing as she got closer to him. No one had ever acknowledged what he had done like she had, and he didn't know how to reply to it. He had never met someone like her that awoke something inside of him. She knew him for what he truly was, and she accepted him with all her heart even though she was a royalty. She didn't fear him, she cared for him. He wasn't used to someone like that.

"I guess I just need to steal you away from Arthur more often," she suggested quietly, and licked her bottom lip.

His mouth fell open. "Why would you do that? I don't want you to get into a fight with Arthur because of me!"

She giggled. "Merlin, calm down. I will not do it that often, only whenever I feel like you deserve some time off from him. Speaking of Arthur, we should head back to Camelot. He can be back any time now."

The walk back to Camelot went in silence, as they both enjoyed being in each other's company and the warm winter weather. By the time they entered the physician chambers they found Gaius sitting at the table, fluttering through one of his books. "I heard that Arthur wasn't at the knighting ceremony. Since you're not covered in food I presume that you didn't help him?" Gaius wondered, looking at his ward.

Lyanna chuckled. "I lied to my father so that Merlin didn't have to go the stocks. It took me a long time to get all the tomato out of his hair yesterday, and I didn't want to do it again."

"You two shouldn't have done that," the old physician started. "I fear that Sophia may not be all the she seems."

Merlin handed Lyanna a goblet filled with water. "Why?"

"What do you two know about seers?"

Lyanna shrugged slightly. "Not much. I've read that they're supposed to be able to see the future, like prophets."

Gaius stood up. "It's said to be an innate ability. Those who have it are born that way. Some aren't even aware that what they see is the future. It comes to them in their dreams."

"What's this got to do with Sophia?" the warlock asked.

The physician sat down on another chair. "The night before she and Aulfric came to Camelot, Morgana had a dream. Sophia was in it."

"I remember her telling me about that. She dreamed that a woman was watching Arthur while he drowned, and that she was smiling. Only that was before she had seen Sophia, and she didn't recognize the woman's face," Lyanna added.

"I've been watching Morgana since she was very young. And though I tried to persuade myself otherwise, I realized that some of the things she said she'd dreamt came to pass. We kept it a secret from Uther, of course. The gift of prophecy is too close to the work of magic."

Lyanna and Merlin sat down beside Gaius. "Do you think that Morgana is a seer?" Merlin asked puzzled.

"We don't think it. We fear it," the physician answered.

"Couldn't this just been a dream? Maybe the –the woman Morgana saw just looked like Sophia," Merlin thought of.

Gaius straightened his back. "That's what I hoped. But Aulfric caught me in Sophia's room and, in a flash on anger, his eyes changed color."

"I already thought that something was wrong. I know my brother, and he doesn't seem like someone who would fall in love this fast. Who are they?" Lyanna wanted to know.

"It's not who they are that worries me. It's what they want with Arthur."

The princess felt an enormous weight of worry growing inside her stomach. Of course she should've known that nothing about this made any sense, but she never thought that Morgana's dreams might be coming true. The thought of Morgana possibly being a seer had never crossed her mind.

That evening she was on her way to talk to Morgana, when she and Merlin saw Aulfric standing before the door of Arthur's chambers. The door swung open and Sophia exited. Lyanna immediately pulled the warlock back behind the wall so that they could listen without getting caught. "He's ready. Tomorrow he'll do what we need him to," Sophia informed her father.

"Good, you have done well. I must go to the elders." Aulfric turned around and walked away.

When Sophia went back into Arthur's chambers the two sorcerers came out of their hiding place. "I'm going to follow him to see what he meant," Merlin suggested.

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows. "I'm coming with you. These two intend to do something to my brother and I must prevent this," she objected. Before he could disagree she was already walking away.

"You sure have the same stubborn spirit as your brother," Merlin replied with a whisper once he had caught up with her.

For a while they followed Aulfric through the woods outside of Camelot. Neither of the two sorcerers had any idea where he was leading them, until he stopped in front of the Lake of Avalon. There was a strong eastern wind that howled through the air. Lyanna and Merlin stood behind a tree, so that they had the perfect view to see what their guest was about to do.

"I seek an audience with the Sidhe elders!" Aulfric roared. "Do: tiag-sa ar idbairt do denam!"

Lyanna clasped Merlin's arm when a strange blue light appeared over the lake. Small lights danced above the water. Merlin used magic to slow down their surroundings, so that were able to recognize the lights as fairies. Both of them smiled at the wonder that was being shown before them.

"I come before you to plead for the chance to win passage back to Avalon and a life of immortality!" Aulfric continued. "And a life of immortality."

The Sidhe elder flew before Aulfric, and pointed at him with his finger. "Your punishment for killing another Sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life. You will never be able to return to Avalon."

"The crime was mine, not my daughter's."

"The gates of Avalon remain closed to your daughter. Unless the soul of a mortal prince will be offered up to them," the Sidhe elder explained.

"Thank you. An immortal life for my daughter is all that I desire. So I promise you the soul of the greatest prince of all. Arthur Pendragon!"

Lyanna's already big hazel eyes now. Now she finally understood what they wanted to do with her brother. They were going to sacrifice him! The Sidhe elder disappeared, along with the rest of them. Aulfric started to laugh devilishly. The bright blue light faded, and Lake Avalon looked peaceful again, besides the strong wind.

"Come on," Merlin said, grabbing Lyanna's hand and hastily pulling her along with him between the trees. They hurried back towards Camelot as fast as they could.

By the time that they reached the physician chambers they started to explain what they had just witnessed. "Avalon. What you saw at the lake, it's Avalon. It must be," Gaius said. "The land of eternal youth. Mortals are only supposed to glimpse it the moment before death."

"Well, we've seen it and we're still here," Lyanna replied in astonishment. "I've already knew that it was Avalon for I had traveled there before, only I didn't see what I saw this time."

"Extraordinary. What did it look like?"

Merlin shook with his head. "Does it matter? They're going to sacrifice Arthur and we don't even know who "they" are yet."

"We do now," Gaius retorted. He walked over to his desk and sat down while he pointed at something in his book. Merlin and Lyanna followed him. "I found writing like this on the top of Aulfric's staff. It's Ogham, an ancient script. Abas ocus bithe. Duthectad bithlane. "To hold life and death in your hands." From the writing on his staff and what you two saw at the like, I'm afraid I'm now certain. We're dealing with the Sidhe."

"That does not sound like a good thing," Merlin muttered.

"They're masters of enchantment," Lyanna added. "I read about it once. Do you think that my brother is being enchanted?"

Gaius nodded. "Almost certainly. You already told me about his strange behavior. I'm afraid that Morgana's dream is coming true." Lyanna couldn't stop shivering when he said that.

* * *

The following morning Lyanna had gone for a ride with Morgana. The princess didn't want to let her friend know that she feared that she might be a seer, so she comforted her and talked about other ordinary things. When they got back at the castle one of the guards informed them that Arthur had required an audience. The reason wasn't known, but Lyanna could only hope that it had nothing to do with Sophia.

The two girls sat down in their seats beside the King when Arthur entered the council chamber, followed by Sophia and Aulfric. "I request this audience, Father, to discuss a matter of great importance," Arthur told them. Lyanna spotted Merlin entering the council room, and standing between the other people. He gave her a faint smile while her brother continued. "It cannot have escaped your attention that I and Lady Sophia Tír-Mòr have grown very close."

Uther looked up from a piece of parchment. "Not too close, I hope."

Lyanna exchanged a look with Morgana, who looked just as confused as she did. "We're in love. Which is why I came before you today to ask your permission to marry," Arthur explained.

The King looked at his daughter for a second before he started laughing, as if someone had just told him a good joke. "I assume you're joking," he replied once he had found his breath again.

"No. I'm going to marry her."

"But you only met two days ago," Lyanna interfered, clearly not understanding what was going on. She couldn't tell anyone that she had found out that these two were Sidhe's without having any proof. No one was going to believe her.

"We're in love," Arthur said slowly, making sure that everyone in the council room had heard him.

"In love?" Uther asked, trying to contain his laughter. "We had no idea that you were such a romantic, hadn't we, Morgana and Lyanna?"

"No, he's full of surprises," Morgana agreed seriously, not seeing the joke in all this.

"Well, we do share the same genes," Lyanna responded with a fake smile.

Arthur didn't seem to matter what everyone was saying. "I'm going to marry her. I don't care what either of you think about." Lyanna turned her gaze at Sophia who seemed to be looking as if she was enjoying herself. This had indeed been their plan all along to stir things up. There had to be something that Lyanna could do to prevent further damage. But what?

Uther looked back at his piece of parchment. "I thought you'd come to ask my permission?"

"Out of courtesy, nothing more." Arthur took Sophia's hand and together they walk towards the door.

"Guards, door!" Uther immediately commanded. The King rose from his throne, clearly having enough from all this. "You've forgotten whose court you're standing in."

"You won't stop me. If I want to marry her, I will," Arthur warned him.

Uther looked at his daughter before sighing. "I honestly thought that he was wiser than this. Arrest Sophia and Aulfric Tír-Mòr."

The guards stepped forwards. "What are you doing?" Arthur asked bewildered.

"And inform the executioner his service will be required tomorrow morning," the King continued, ignoring his son completely.

"You can't do this," the prince said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, I can, and unless you show me some respect, I will!" Uther's voice was filled with rage. He obviously didn't accept to be spoken to on such a manner. If Sophia and Aulfric didn't have the intention of sacrificing her brother, Lyanna would've convinced her father to release them. But if they were in the cells she didn't have to worry about anything. Arthur bowed his head. "Release them," Uther ordered. The guards let go off the Sidhe's. "You've got your whole life ahead of you. Sophia is no doubt your first love, but she certainly won't be the only one. Enjoy yourself while you can." They watched how Arthur exited the council chamber. Uther followed shortly after that, with Morgana right behind them.

Lyanna hoped that she would be able to talk to her brother personally and went to his chambers where she found him packing for traveling, while he was clothed in his chainmail. Merlin stood in the doorway. "I thought the King was a bit harsh," Merlin said.

"I don't need sympathy, Merlin, especially not from you," Arthur snapped, angrily throwing clothes into his back.

"Arthur!" Lyanna called him to reason, making her way over to the bed with Merlin right behind her.

"I ordered him to get out. Now leave me! You too, sis," Arthur responded frustrated.

"I know what you think you're doing, and I know that you think you're in love with Sophia…" Merlin explained.

"Who are you to tell me what I'm thinking?" the prince snapped with a raised voice. He was nothing like himself anymore. The spell that the Sidhe's had put on him sure was effective.

"I'm your friend," the warlock answered determined. Lyanna could tell by his words that he meant it, and that he really saw it like that. She couldn't help but smile at that. This sure was a positive process in their friendship.

"No, Merlin, you're my servant," Arthur corrected him, walking past them.

Her smile faded like snow in the sun, and she followed her brother to the window "There is no need to talk to Merlin like that. He has done nothing wrong to offend you. In fact he's always been there for you. Sophia cast a spell on you. You're enchanted!"

Both sorcerers stirred when they heard a voice coming from behind them. "I told you people would try to keep us apart." It was Sophia. Aulfric was standing right beside her.

"I know. I won't let that happen," Arthur assured her.

"Oh for crying out loud. I've had more than enough of this rubbish." The princess fumed with anger, and faced the two Sidhe's that stood before them. "I know that you're controlling him!"

Sophia walked towards them, ignoring her completely. "We can elope together. Get away from this place, these people." That was when Lyanna snapped and lost her temper. She closed the distance and grabbed for Sophia's throat, pulling the Sidhe onto the ground. Her hands pulled onto her hair, and she heard her screaming in protest. Not even her magic could help her now.

It was eventually Merlin that pulled her from Sophia and stood before her in case she would launch at her again. Lyanna noticed that Sophia's lip was bleeding and the princess couldn't stop grinning because she had humiliated her. "I'm going to get you for this," Sophia snarled at her.

"That's My Lady for you. And I would like to see you try," Lyanna retorted. Her hands were clenched into fists and she knew that she would go at it again if she didn't keep her mouth shut. She could easily take her if she caught her by surprise.

Merlin pointed at Aulfric. "We saw you. We followed him. They're planning to sacrifice you," he said instead to change the subject.

Aulfric chuckled, facing Lyanna. "You let your servant talk to your guests this way? What would you father say if he found out that you were conspiring with a servant to blacklist his guests?"

Lyanna huffed. "You've got to be joking. I know what you're trying to do. Like Merlin said, we followed you to the lake and we heard everything." She faced her brother. "You have to believe us." Arthur blinked, as if he tried to block out all the thoughts that were trying to enter his mind.

"Don't listen to them. They're jealous of what we have. Let's go. Let's leave tonight," Sophia pleaded. Lyanna growled and was about to storm at her again, but Merlin was once again the person who kept her away. He didn't want to solve this problem by having a brawl.

"She's going to kill you," Merlin retorted. "Sophia plans to sacrifice you to buy a life of immortality. If you go with her, you'll die."

Arthur shook with his head. "It—it doesn't make sense. We're – we're in love," he muttered confused.

"They're magical beings! Look at the writing on the staff!" Lyanna almost shouted. She was filled with irritation. This entire situation was extremely tiring and she wanted it to come to an end.

Merlin reached for it. Aulfric quickly pulled it away before he could grab it, and his eyes glow red. "Look at his eyes! Look at him! Do you believe us now? Arthur, do you see?" the warlock asked hysterically.

Arthur turned to face them, his eyes glowing red. Lyanna gasped in utter shock. "I see everything," he said.

Merlin lunged towards Aulfric, but the Sidhe used his staff. "_**Na mben sis!**_" His spell threw Merlin against a wall, and knocked him unconscious.

The princess hurried towards his side. "Merlin. Merlin, please wake up," she cried, cupping his face. When there didn't came a respond she stood up, facing the two Sidhe's. She was about to use magic to stop them, but was surprised when Aulfric used the same spell and threw her against the wall. She was succumbed by darkness.

* * *

"Lyanna, wake up," a gentle voice said later. The princess felt warm hands holding her face, and how thumbs caressed her cheek. She stirred and opened one of her hazel eyes only to see Merlin's face above hers. As soon as her eyes met his sky blue ones she noticed a bright sparkle in them. She blushed. "Oh bless you, you're awake."

She slowly sat up, painfully rubbing over the back of her head. Merlin assisted her back onto her feet, and Lyanna noticed the presence of the court physician. "Gaius," she said. "What happened? Where is Arthur?"

"You two can't leave like this," Gaius protested. "You can barely stand up."

"We have to go," Merlin objected stubbornly.

Gaius grabbed his shoulders. "You can't, not in this state. You owe it to your powers that you survived this at all."

"I'll be fine," Lyanna assured him and rose. She patted the filth from the skirt of her dress. "He needs our help, or it's going to be too late." They were already having a head start, but maybe they were still on time.

"Has the buzzing stopped?" the physician asked, eying his ward. Merlin muttered a 'Yeah.' "Liar."

"We have to go, Gaius. If we don't go he'll die."

He realized that he wasn't going to be able to convince them otherwise. "The Sidhe are vicious people. You must be careful," he warned them.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Merlin said. He walked to the right.

"Merlin?" Gaius interrupted him. "It's this way."

The warlock turned around. "Just testing." He grabbed Lyanna's wrist to pull her along with him. Normally that would've made her laugh, but right now she couldn't bring herself to laugh. They had something important to do.

Night had fallen over the forest and the two sorcerers ran as fast their legs could carry them between the trees .This time they knew their destination, and they hoped that they would get there in time.

Merlin tripped over a root, and Lyanna quickly helped him back on his feet. "We're not going to make it there in time," Lyanna complained. She was wearing a long dress which made it impossible for her to easily move around. The skirt of her dress had gotten ripped, and had big holes in it. Her throat was burning with every breath that she drew. Apparently she wasn't in a good shape as she always believed.

"We cannot give up," he reassured her. Lyanna smiled faintly at his optimism and quickened her pace and easily kept up with him. After running for about twenty minutes they reached the lake. They noticed the two Sidhes immediately.

"You stop them, while I try to get Arthur," Lyanna shouted at him, running closer to the water bank. She heard Merlin chanting behind her, and bolts of light hit Aulfic who exploded in front of her.

"Father! No! No!" Sophia cried while she tried to get back to the shore.

Merlin pointed the staff at her. "Óga ceoles." A bolt of light hit Sophia and she exploded as well.

Lyanna ran into the water, looking desperately for her brother. "Arthur! Arthur!" she called him, while she got deeper into the water. She dove underneath the surface, and was surprised when she found him. She used all her strength to pull her brother back to the surface. Because he was wearing his armour he felt much heavier than he normally did. She brought him back to the shore where she started to check his vital signs.

"He's alright," she sighed gratefully, trying to regain her breath. "He's going to be fine. He just needs to rest. You did it."

Merlin kneeled down beside her. "No. We did it." Lyanna smiled at him before she pulled him into a tight embrace. Her worries had faded, and she was finally able to breathe properly again. "How are we going to get him back to Camelot?" Merlin wondered out loud. "It's a long way."

"We have no other choice than to carry him. It's going to be alright."

Together they each wrapped an arm around Arthur's shoulder and they carried the unconscious knight back. Not a word was being said at all and they placed Arthur into his bed to make it look as if nothing had happened.

* * *

In the morning Gaius, Merlin and Lyanna sat at his bedside waiting for him to wake. When Arthur groaned they all looked up at the prince. "What happened?" Arthur asked puzzled, opening his eyes. "Where am I?"

Lyanna resisted the urge to pull her brother into an embrace. "Can you remember anything?" Merlin wondered out loud in her place.

Arthur slowly sat up straight, while Lyanna reached for his hand. "Ow! Oh, my head," he cried, placing a hand on his head. "There was a girl. Sophia, she… I asked my father something about her, I asked him…" He bolted up in bed. "What was I thinking?"

"Well, we did wonder," Lyanna replied. "Especially when you eloped with her last night."

Arthur looked at them, confusion written all over his face. "I did what?"

"Merlin and Lyanna had to bring you back to Camelot," Gaius informed him, remaining calm.

The prince shook with his head. "I don't recall any of this."

"It must have been some blow," the physician said.

"What blow?"

"Well, er, when Lady Lyanna and I caught up with you, we couldn't persuade you to return, you were beyond reason. So I had to make you," Merlin explained, quite enjoying himself. Lyanna covered her mouth behind her hand.

Arthur looked at his servant bewildered. "You managed to knock me out?"

"He did," Lyanna told him, smirking amusingly. "With a lump of wood. Of course he asked me if that was alright first, but we really had tried anything to change your mind. We only did it to bring you back safely. I even got into a fight with Sophia because she refused to let you go." It was technically true. The fight with the Sidhe girl was still fresh in her mind.

In one smooth motion Arthur leaned forwards, pointing at them with his finger. "No one can know about this. Any of this. Is that understood?" The three of them looked at each other, and nodded. Arthur growled before falling back on his pillow.

A few hours later Arthur was standing in front of the court. Lyanna was once again seated beside Morgana and decided not to tell anything about what had happened back at Lake Avalon. It was for the best that Morgana didn't know her dreams were coming true. Perhaps she would one day discover the truth. But now was not the time.

Uther was standing in front of his son. "When you failed to show up for patrol this morning, I feared you'd eloped with Sophia in a fit of passion."

Arthur turned to Merlin and gestured to him. "I—I wish he had. Because then I wouldn't be stood in front of you feeling like an idiot… again," the servant said nervously.

The King walked towards him. "This is becoming a near daily occurrence for you."

Merlin nodded. "But there was a mistake. And I would not say it was anyone's fault. Not—not really. Erm, you—you could say it was mine," he nervously said.

"Could someone tell me what happened?" Uther demanded, turning away from him. "Well…" Merlin started, but was interrupted by the King. "Someone with a brain."

Lyanna rose from her chair. "After Sophia left, Arthur told me that he wanted to go on a hunt so that he could take his mind off her. I went with him."

"And killing mends a broken heart?" Morgana asked with knitted brows.

"No, but it's good fun," Arthur replied dryly. "Merlin was meant to inform you that I wouldn't be back till later today." He gestured towards his servant.

Uther turned to Merlin again. "Have you some kind of mental affliction?"

"Probably," Merlin answered seriously. Lyanna had to stifle a laugh. She seemed to be the only one in the room who knew his true nature. He may be a clumsy goat, but he was also a very skilled sorcerer. He had proved himself once more again last night. She believed in him.

"I'm looking into it, Sire," Gaius assured him.

"Well, I hope for your sake you find a cure. Or we'll find ourselves with a foot shortage on our hands," Uther told him.

Merlin chuckled. "Food shortage," he muttered amused until he realized what that meant. He would be thrown into the stocks once more. The smile faded from his face.

Lyanna sighed. "Sire, there is no need to punish him for it. It was me who you should blame. I've given Merlin some chores to do, which is the reason why he didn't came here to inform you about it. I apologize for that."

Uther faced his daughter. "Very well. I'm glad that you told the truth. This court is dismissed."

While everyone exited the council chamber Lyanna made her way towards the warlock. "And that's how you do it," she grinned. She gave him a wink before she walked out of the council chamber herself.


	9. The Beginning Of The End

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Thanks everyone for the kind reviews!

**BlueGreen216: Thank you for reviewing! Glad that you like it :)  
**

**fanfictionlover05: Thank you for reviewing AGAIN! Alas, Gwaine is a while away from now I'm afraid haha :p I hope the other characters are making up for that until our dear Gwaine makes his appearance. **

**KattieWatsonHolm: Bless you and your sweet heart. I feel like hugging you! And hooray that you're getting further with watching the series :) ****y****es I wish that I was able to throw Lyanna into the series just to please you haha ;p I'm glad that you're liking her so much. Waiting for a kiss maybe won't be too long anymore *hint hint hint* You'll see haha! But thanks dear x**

**waszka098: Thank you for reviewing AGAIN! :D**

**A/N- **I'm posting this chapter earlier than I originally planned especially for the kind **EmilyGrace31 **:"D I'll try to post the next one within a week.

**Please enjoy the chapter :)**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter nine: The Beginning of the End **

Lyanna heard Gwen open her door and then yelp at the sight of her being awake already. The first sunrays cracked through the window while the princess was seated at the table in her chamber, reading a book and looked up at her servant. "I had no idea that you were awake already, My Lady," Gwen blithered.

"It's alright. Is something wrong?" Lyanna asked concerned, noticing something in her dark eyes.

Gwen gave a hesitant nod. "I came here to inform you that your brother has requested your presence at the courtyard. He would like to go for a ride with you."

Lyanna hadn't given any thought yet to how she had wanted to fill her day, but riding sure seemed like a good idea. She longed for some fresh air, and she believed that Lumiere could use some exercise.

She changed into a ridding dress, slipped on her boots, and brushed her long golden hair and braided it before leaving to find her brother. When she reached the stables she found her steed neighing happily at her as she walked towards him. The stable boy named Tyr, was holding the reins of Lumiere.

"Did he behave well?" she asked.

"Y—yes he did, My Lady," he squeaked nervously. "Very well." He continued to hold the reins for her while she mounted Lumiere, who snorted cheerfully. She took over the reins before she made her way over to the courtyard.

There she found her brother on the back of his brown horse, dressed in chainmail. "What made you decide to go horseback riding this early?" Lyanna wanted to know. Normally her brother wasn't outside around this time of the day and still sleeping solemnly. He would only wake up an hour before the training would start.

He looked up, meeting her gaze. "I just needed to clear my head, and you're the best company here," he clarified.

She smirked deviously. "Is that a compliment?"

Arthur shot her a hard look. "Don't get used to it," he murmured mounting his horse. Arthur spurred his horse into a gallop startling his sister with this sudden action.

Lumiere was fast, and was able to keep up with him easily. The two of them rode through the gates of Camelot. They navigated through the forest, when they reached the emerald green hills.

When they halted to look at Camelot in the distance, the impressive towers shined in the bright sunlight. Whenever Lyanna saw the sight of the castle she felt a warm feeling spread through her. This place was her home and probably the only home that she would ever have.

"This place sure never seizes to amaze me," she muttered in astonishment.

"It sure does," Arthur agreed with her, his eyes filled with content. "It sure is a place of magnificent."

They stood there for a moment staring at the castle. "Is everything alright?" Lyanna asked concerned, noticing how quiet her brother was.

He broke from his trance. "Blame that worthless servant of mine. He woke me up in the middle of the night when he tripped over his own two feet. Surely I'm convinced that he is going to injure himself one day, simply because he's an idiot."

But he's also very wise and brave, Lyanna thought venomously. Of course she couldn't explain to him that the two of them had saved his life by using magic. It could mean the end of her life.

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be this hard on him. He is working very hard for you."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why are you always standing up for my servant?" he liked to know. "Is something going on between the two of you?"

His wanted sudden question had startled her, causing her to blink. "No," Lyanna answered flatly. "I'm aware that he can be clumsy now and then, but that doesn't mean that you should be so hard on him. You can show him some kindness for his hard work by giving him some time off now and then."

A soft breeze freed a few strands of Lyanna's golden hair. Since they weren't that far away yet they were able to hear the alarm bells echoing through the valley. She swallowed her anxious nerves. "Something is wrong," she stated, her voice filled with panic.

"We have to go back," Arthur decided, kicking his horse into a fast canter. Lyanna followed suit in a gallop, her heart racing with fear. Many scenarios flashed inside her mind, only causing her to grow even more fearful.

The rode back to Camelot went in silence, both siblings lost in their own thoughts. By the time that they reached the courtyard they noticed the commotion. "What happened?" Arthur asked one of the guards as soon as he had dismounted his horse.

"A Druid boy has escaped, My Lord. We're searching everywhere for him," the guard informed him.

Lyanna gulped. She didn't understand why a Druid boy would come to Camelot in the first place. Something must've been wrong. She had brought Lumiere back to his stable where she started to brush him thoroughly, getting the knots out of his black mane. While she was busy she quietly hummed a tune, of a song that she used to sing whenever she was young.

For an unknown while she stood there all alone in the stables and she flinched when she heard a voice, clear inside her head. "Help me!"

She abruptly turned around, letting the brush fall out of her hands. Behind a block of hay sat a young boy from around the age of ten. He was wearing the hood of his grey cloak over his head, but she was able to see his dark hair and his bright blue eyes beaming at her. For some reason he reminded her of a young Merlin. After a few seconds she realized who he was, and that he was using telepathy to speaking to her. "You have to help me!"

It was the escaped Druid boy and he looked like a frightened rat. "What are you doing here?" she asked by using the same way of the communications that he had done. At first she thought that it hadn't worked because she didn't notice anything in the boy's feature. This was a new way of communicating for her after all.

"They're going to kill me!"

When he mentioned that Lyanna reacted on an impulse. She made her way over towards the hay blocks to grab his wrist and pulled him along with her. Everyone in Camelot was aware of the bond between the Druids and her father. If he would get found he surely wouldn't survive. She couldn't let that happen. "Come on," she instructed him telepathically. "Follow me."

The two of them quietly exited the stables, but hid behind a cart when a group of guards walked right in front of them. Lyanna was able to hear the boy's fast breathing, his fear taking control of him. She slowly peered over the top of the cart to see that the coast was clear before they continued.

She leaded him across the courtyard, hiding him underneath her own cloak. With a steady pace they entered the castle. They walked through the long corridors of doors and climbed a flight of stairs.

The princess had no idea where that she could take Mordred. She just burst through the door of her own chamber and halted in shock. Morgana and Gwen were standing near the window, and both looked at them in astonishment. Clearly they had thought it was a good idea to surprise Lyanna here in case she would return. But this wasn't going according to their plan.

"What's going on?" Morgana asked puzzled.

"The guards are after him. I didn't know what else to do," Lyanna explained, her voice trembling nervously. She held him close against her as a form of protection and was surprised by how warm his skin felt against hers.

Just like that the guards knocked on the door. "My Lady? My Lady?"

Morgana hesitated for a second until she pointed towards the corner of her chamber. Lyanna and the boy hastily ran towards the small window, where they hide behind the curtain. While Morgana started to talk to the guards Lyanna began to check up on the boy. She noticed how her hand was covered in his blood.

As soon as the door was closed Morgana and Gwen made their way over to them. "Ehm – I'm going to need some yarrow," Lyanna suggested wisely. "Gwen, could you go to Gaius to get some? And maybe some cloth." She hoped that her studies with Gaius would work of. She had to save him. Gwen nodded and hurried out of the room.

"Do you think that you can help him?" Morgana asked concerned, kneeling beside her friend.

"I'm doing whatever I can," Lyanna replied, while she examined the wound thoroughly. "I need to stop the bleeding and to find a way to lower his temperature."

By the time Gwen returned with the supplies Lyanna started to look after his injury. She had practiced this plenty of times on other patients by now and managed to stop the bleeding within a short time. She pressed a wet cloth against the boy's forehead. "For now he's going to be alright. He just needs to rest."

For a moment she sat there beside him, watching him how his chest rose as he slept. Eventually the waiting drove her insane and Lyanna decided to stretch her legs for a bit and exited her chambers. She walked past the council chamber where she was able to hear a snippet of a conversation between her father and Arthur.

"Absolutely necessary," Uther insisted. "Those who use magic cannot be tolerated." Whenever he said such a thing Lyanna couldn't help but feel unwanted, because he would never accept her completely. It was something that kept her awake now and then.

"The Druids are a peaceful people," Arthur objected, clearly not believing that everyone that possessed magic was truly evil at heart.

"Given the chance, they would return magic to the kingdom." Uther took a sip from his wine while he placed the empty goblet on the table and walked away. "They preach peace, but conspire against me. We cannot appear weak."

Arthur straightened himself. "Showing mercy can be a sign of strength."

The King turned to face his son. "Our enemies will not see it that way. We have a responsibility to protect this kingdom. Executing the Druid will send out a clear message. Find the boy. Search every inch of the city."

Lyanna hurried away when she saw her father walking towards her and hid behind a pillar until he was out of sight. She wandered through the corridors, unknown where she was heading to. Because her gaze was drifting everywhere she wasn't paying attention when she bumped into someone. She felt two strong arms grabbing her, which kept her in her place.

"Merlin," Lyanna gasped when she met his eyes, which were definitely captivating. She shook that thought of her head, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. Lately she sure kept bumping into Merlin. This had to stop.

"Hi," he greeted, the end of his lips curling into a gentle smile. That smile soon faded when he noticed the worries in her eyes. "Is everything alright? You look troubled."

Lyanna looked around her to make sure that no one else would be listening. "I found the Druid boy that everyone is searching for," she said, her voice quiet just to be certain no one was eavesdropping. "I was at the stables when he asked for my help. I brought him to my chamber."

"Do you want me to check up on him?" he offered kindly.

She fidgeted with her fingers. "That it's entirely up to you. I doubt that there is anything that you can do for him since he's sleeping right now. Besides I just heard that my father is planning to execute the boy's father." She didn't think of the pain the boy would feel if he would find out about that.

Merlin gave her a faint smile. "I'm sure that checking up on him won't do any harm."

He followed her as she leaded him towards her chambers. Morgana opened the door for them and looked confused when she got aware of the presence of the prince's servant. "Did you tell Merlin?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yes," Lyanna answered firmly. "We can trust him." After all Merlin was one of the people that she trusted the most in this castle. Morgana still wasn't fully convinced but decided not to argue with her.

Lyanna made her way over to the boy, who was still sleeping silently. They sat there for a couple of hours as they observed him. A heavy tension was hanging in the air, and with every passing second it gained more weight. Lyanna didn't dare to go away from his's side again, and stayed there to watch over him. Even Morgana and stayed with them.

It was late in the morning when he woke up. "How are you feeling?" Lyanna asked concerned. If she knew if he was feeling any pain maybe she could treat him differently. Even back when he was younger he hadn't been much of a talker, but she sure hoped that he could tell her something.

His gaze lingered to her, but his lips remained closed. His breathing was short and his fever wasn't getting lower. "My name is Mordred," he said inside her mind. That was all he said before he drifted off again. Mordred. It was good to have a name so that they could call him that.

Morgana was sitting beside Mordred for a little while, just comforting him by cradling him. Lyanna and Merlin watched the square below as Mordred's father waited to be executed.

Uther spoke, "People of Camelot, the man before you is guilty of using enchantments and magic. Under our law, the sentence for this crime is death. We're still searching for his accomplice. Anyone found harboring the boy is guilty of conspiracy, and will be executed as a traitor. Let this serve as warning to your people."

"You have let your fear of magic turn to hate. I pity you," the man supplied with spite. Mordred's father sure didn't look afraid in his last moments.

They both turned their heads when they heard Mordred screaming "No" inside their minds. Lyanna was able to feel a strong vibration in the air when the mirror next to the window broke.

"We have to speak to Gaius," she said after a moment of silence, her voice nothing but a whisper. Maybe the physician would be able to provide them an answer. Merlin nodded. "We will be back later."

The two sorcerers entered the physician chambers where Gaius was busy with boiling some potions. He handed the two of them something to eat for lunch. "Do you know anything about the Druids?" Merlin eventually asked. Lyanna took a bite from her porridge. She knew that her family was probably eating something more decent than this, but she didn't care. Secretly she had always been a fan of this kind of food.

"Very little," Gaius answered while he wrote something down. "They're very secretive people. Especially now they're being hunted by Uther." He suddenly straightened himself and looked at them. "Please tell me you two haven't got yourself mixed up in this?"

"Us? No. Mixed up in what?" Merlin quickly answered.

"For someone with such a big secret, you are a terrible liar," Gaius replied, making his way over to them.

Merlin placed his spoon back into his bowl. "Well, we haven't done anything."

"Merlin…" the physician restrained him.

Lyanna remained silent. She didn't want to tell Gaius about Mordred because she feared about what would happen to him. He didn't have anything left.

He paused. "I heard the boy calling out. He was nowhere to be seen, but we could hear him… like he was inside our minds."

"Yes, I've heard of this ability. The Druids look for children with such gifts to Serve as apprentices. While they're searching for this boy, you two must be especially careful otherwise it will be your head on the chopping block," Gaius warned them.

"I'm always careful. You know me," Merlin replied, wearing his trademark smile.

Gaius pointed at him with the quill. "Yes, Merlin, unfortunately I do."

Lyanna chuckled while the physician walked back towards the other table. He shot her a hard look while he started to play with his porridge. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Lyanna wanted to know.

"Because you agree with him," Merlin answered blankly.

She knitted her eyebrows together. "I'm seriously disappointed."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"That you don't even know me at all," Lyanna cared to explain. "I'd imagine that you would know that I'm not like that after the six months that we've came to know each other. I should watch my tongue, or you can spend more time in stocks. I heard that you were rather fond of that." His jaw fell open. Lyanna gave him a wink before she burst into laughter. "Just don't doubt me again."

"Oh, trust me. I won't," he promised, joining her laughter.

When lunch was finished the two of them made their way back towards Lyanna's chambers. Morgana had been kind enough to stay inside her chambers to look after Mordred during her absence. Lyanna was grateful that Morgana was helping her out like that. Even though she didn't always agree with Morgana at moments like this she was grateful to have her at her side.

"How is he?" Lyanna asked concerned, as they entered the room.

"He's sleeping. He's very pale. I worry he may have lost a lot of blood," Morgana answered. The three of them made their way over to the corner of the room where Mordred was sleeping behind the curtain. Lyanna kneeled beside him to examine his wound.

"Has he said anything at all?" Merlin wondered.

"Nothing. He won't even tell me his name. Why would the King want him dead?" Morgana wanted to know.

"His name is Mordred," Lyanna informed the King's ward. "Uther believes he has magic, and that makes him guilty."

Morgana turned towards her friend. "How do you know his name? Have you seen this boy before?"

Lyanna shook his head. "He told me his name," she half lied. She knew that it was for the best if she didn't mention that she had heard it by using a magical way of communicating. "He's a good boy." She gently caressed his cheek.

"Uther is wrong," Morgana immediately answered.

"You believe that?" Merlin asked bewildered.

Morgana paused. "What if magic isn't something you choose? What if it chooses you?" Merlin looked thoroughly at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing," the warlock replied, averting her gaze.

Lyanna couldn't help but feel a tension between the two of them, as if there was something more than just friendship. For some reason that caused her to feel rather uncomfortable, and she didn't understand why that was. Why should she care how they felt?

"I can understand that you care for him," Morgana started doubtfully. "But are you really willing to risk your own life to safe that of him?"

Lyanna snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at them "Because I don't want to see any harm coming to him. Like you said, he hasn't done anything wrong. He deserves a chance."

Merlin sighed. "It was a spur of a moment decision. What do you think we should do with him? He can't stay here."

"We have to find a way to get him back to his people," Lyanna suggested. "And he'll help us how to find them."

Since Lyanna and Morgana didn't want to cause any suspicion they decided to dine with Uther. While the princess chatted about ordinary things with her father, the King's ward was lost in her own thoughts.

"You seem troubled, Morgana. Is something wrong?" Uther asked, stuffing his mouth with a grape.

"No, My Lord," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm sorry I'm not better company."

Lyanna filled her father's goblet with some more red wine, and handed it to him. "I'm merely concerned for your welfare, that's all," the King explained.

"Thank you, My Lord. All is well," Morgana assured him, putting up a fake smile.

The princess was about to change the subject when Arthur entered the room. "What news of the hunt for the Druid boy?" Uther immediately asked.

Arthur made his way over to them, leaning on the chair his sister was sitting in. "We have conducted an extensive search. The boy is nowhere to be found."

"You mean you failed to find him?" Uther assumed, leaning backwards.

"Perhaps he's already left the city, Sire," Lyanna thought off. If her father believed that the boy wasn't in Camelot anymore that meant that the hunt would get canceled. It was worth the try.

Uther placed his empty goblet back on the table. "You're telling me that a wounded boy is able to evade the guards and escape the city? Nonsense. I want him found." Lyanna bit her bottom lip.

"He's just a boy. What harm can he do?" Arthur reasoned, not seeing the problem.

"He is a Druid, and that makes him dangerous."

"The Druids would see your father's kingdom destroyed," Morgana added.

The twins abruptly turned to face her. "I had no idea that you were such an authority on Druids," Arthur said, frowning.

"Morgana is right. Double your efforts," Uther ordered.

Arthur sighed. "Yes, Father." He ran his fingers through Lyanna's hair before he exited the room.

By the time that dinner was finished Morgana immediately rushed back towards Lyanna's chamber. Lyanna decided to spend some extra time with her father before he would get suspect anything. It was her plan to check in on Mordred later once everything had settled down a little.

For nearly two hours she sat beside Uther, listening to him telling stories about her mother. While he spoke she couldn't help but feel emotional that she never was able to meet her mother.

"There is something that I must show you," the King said when he was finished telling her how he had met her all those long years ago. He motioned for her to follow him towards a small table. There stood a small wooden box, and on its top was a golden dragons, the seal of the Pendragons. Uther took the box and handed to her. Lyanna opened it, excitement running through her veins, and inside was a necklace made of silver. The necklace was adorned with small flowers, and in the middle was a smile vial of water. Beside the necklace were two bracelets made of silver; one had the same vile of clear water, and the other was a simple with a red pendant.

"It was given to your mother by her mother and she had wanted to give it to you when you had reached the proper age. Unfortunately she had never explained me its true meaning, so I cannot share that with you."

"T-thank you, father," Lyanna finally said sweetly when Uther reached down and removed the other necklace and replaced it with this new one. She touched the necklace when it fell onto her skin.

A smile played on his lips as he looked at her, and Lyanna could see that he was filled with pride. "You look just like her, my dear," Uther complimented as he kissed the side of her face. "You look beautiful I can guarantee you that she will be proud of you." This had been the first time that Uther had spoken so openly about her mother.

Since she had gotten here she hadn't heard one bit about the woman that was her mother, but she had been too scared to ask anything about her. Normally he would cringe or avoid the subject whenever she dared to ask something about it. She could tell how difficult it was for him to give her something that belonged to the woman he loved, and had lost.

Lyanna placed a kiss on her father's cheek. "I don't know how I can ever thank you, Father. I can assure you this is the now the most valuable item that I possess. I will cherish it with my own life."

She picked up the skirt of her dress and hurried out of the throne room, carrying the two bracelets in her hands. Maybe Gaius knew something more about this jewelry. It took only a few minutes until she had reached the chamber of the court physician and entered the chamber. She found Gaius standing at the table, fluttering through the pages of a book. He looked up when he heard her footsteps. "Lyanna," he greeted. "Is everything alright?"

She nodded as she showed him the necklace around her neck. "My father just gave this with two bracelets to me and told me that it belonged to my mother when she was younger. He didn't have any information about what it could do so I wondered if you knew more about it."

Gaius sat down while he examined the necklace. "It is known as the Whistle of Ilundim," he said after many moments of silence. "It comes together with two bracelets. One can speak through the necklace and bracelet, and you always know if the other is still present within this world."

"W-what would I use this for?" Lyanna asked observing the necklace with narrowed eyes. "It's unlikely that I would travel away from Camelot."

"I'm sure that will change soon." He gave her a warm smile. "Would you like some tea, my dear?"

She stuffed the bracelets into the pocket of her dress. "No. I thank you for the kind offer, but I promised Morgana that I would drink some tea with her instead. She insisted that I would show up because she had something urgent to talk about." Gaius chuckled. "Girls stuff. I should get going now. Thanks again."

With those words the Lyanna exited the physician chambers and started to walk through the empty corridors. She entered her chambers and found Morgana sitting in the corner of her room.

"How is he?" Lyanna asked concerned, kneeling down beside him.

"Not well. He's getting worse." Morgana looked worried. "Arthur came into your chambers earlier to look for the Druid boy. We nearly got caught. I had to explain him what I was doing here in your room, but he bought my lies. He's not suspicious."

Mordred's temperature was rising and his eyes were twirling in their socket. "We need to lower his temperature," Lyanna cried out. "Do you happen to have some lemon here?"

The King's ward looked confused for a second until she stood up and walked over to a small table on the other side of her chamber, and handed her a lemon. "It's a leftover from breakfast. Gwen hasn't cleaned it up yet."

Lyanna nodded thankfully while she started to cut the lemon into a few slices, and mixed it with some boiling water. When she had enough for one cup she handed it to Mordred who looked at her with widened eyes. He hesitantly accepted it, and took a small sip from the cup.

"Thank you, Darya," Mordred said telepathically.

She looked slightly shocked "Why do you call me that? My name is Lyanna," she replied in the same manner.

She could tell that he had heard her when he gave a small nod with his head. "Among my people that is your name. We know about the destiny of you and Emrys, and about the Ilunavar."

Many thoughts rushed through the head of the princess at the same time. "You know my destiny. Mordred who is Emrys? And what is the Ilunavar?"

When she asked the questions she noticed that his eyes started to cast in his socket again and that he was losing his consciousness. Lyanna was able to grab the cup before he would let it fall.

She sat there in silence looking at Mordred while she tried to let his words sink. Never before had he called her by that name. Her thoughts were interrupted when she nearly jumped out of her skin when someone else than Morgana sat down beside her. "Merlin," Lyanna gasped, trying to regain her breath. "You startled me. Where did you suddenly come from?"

"I was gathering some herbs that might help him when I ran into Gaius. I couldn't tell him the truth so I came up with an excuse. He ended up talking about anatomy. Well, you know how passionate he is about it. It took a long while until he stopped," the warlock explained, handing her the herbs.

"Thanks." Lyanna started to rub the ointment on the wound on the Mordred's side. "Morgana, could you get us some fresh water?" The King's ward nodded and left the chamber. "I was wondering if he said anything to you inside your mind."

His blue eyes met her green ones. "He did. He called me Emrys earlier."

She bit her bottom lip. Emrys. Ilunavar. Did that mean we are connected? "Did he? How odd," Lyanna murmured doubtfully. "He called me Darya. He also mentioned that he knew about the destiny of me and Emrys and something about the Ilunavar. I wanted to ask him questions about it but he lost his consciousness before he could answer."

Merlin paused. "I think that it would be wise if we talk to Kilgharrah about it. He knows more about our destiny and might be able to provide us some answers."

Their conversation was ended when Morgana entered her chamber, carrying a bucket filled with water in her hand. She gave it to Lyanna who started to press a cold cloth against Mordred's forehead. "Is he doing any better?" Morgana asked concerned.

"I cannot tell that yet I'm afraid. I'm doing whatever I can to help him, but I'm only an apprentice," she explained sadly. "Just don't be afraid to come to me whenever he's doing worse."

Morgana nodded understandingly. "Of course," she assured her. "I will stay here until you'll get back. I want to thank both of you for helping him."

"Don't worry too much," Lyanna replied, reassuringly placing her hand upon the shoulder of the King's ward. "I should get going. If there is anything that you need, please don't hesitate to come to me. I will be back soon."

Before Morgana could say anything Lyanna had already left her chambers with Merlin on her heels. The two sorcerers walked through the castle until they reached the dungeons. She lit up a torch and walked through the dark cave until they reach the cliff. "Hello," Merlin called, waiting for a respond.

Nothing happened and the two of them looked around when the dragons climbed around a corner and roared loudly. Lyanna merely blinked while Merlin sighed irritated.

"Do you have to do that? You scared the life out of us?" Merlin asked bewildered.

The Great Dragon flew to the big rock in the middle. "Young warlocks. I believed that I only scared you. Lyanna is a though one." She contained a grin. "No doubt that the two of you are here about the Druid boy."

"Did you hear him speak?" Lyanna guessed. The dragon nodded.

"Do you have any idea why he calls me Emrys, while he calls Lyanna Darya?" Merlin asked, coming straight to the point.

"Because that are your names," Kilgharrah answered, as if it was completely obvious.

Both sorcerers exchanged a look with each other. "I'm pretty sure my name is Merlin. Always has been."

Lyanna sighed. "Don't forget idiot. Alas, that is what Arthur calls you." She could feel him shooting her a hard look, which caused her a lot of effort to hold in her laughter.

"The two of you have many names," Kilgharrah explained.

"Do we? This is the first time that I get called by another name than my own," Lyanna replied, knitting her brows.

"There is much written about the two of you, that you have yet to read," the Great Dragon responded. He paused. "You should not protect this boy."

Confusion was written in the sorcerers eyes. "Why?" Merlin asked puzzled. "He has magic. He's just like us."

"The two of you and the boy are as different as day and night," Kilgharrah objected.

"What does that mean?" Lyanna wondered, clamping onto the torch.

The dragon looked at them. "Heed my words, young sorcerers."

"Why should we not protect him?" Merlin called after the dragon, who flew away. Once the sound of flapping wings faded away, silence found its way back into the cave. The two sorcerers stood there for a moment, letting all this new information sink. Lyanna couldn't believe what they had discovered, or if it was really the truth.

When they entered the physician chambers they found Gaius gathering some herbs, and putting them into a basket. Merlin sat down on the steps to his chamber, and started to stare into the distance. Lyanna assisted the physician by handing him the right bottles.

"The search for this Druid boy is becoming a real nuisance," Gaius complained. "With all the extra security around the castle, it's taking me twice as long to do my round. Is that everything?"

"I believe so," Lyanna muttered, looking through the pile of bottles on the table.

"Lyanna is hiding the Druid boy in her chambers," Merlin blurted out. Lyanna cursed inwardly and slowly turned around to shoot a hard look at the warlock. She couldn't believe that he would blow up their cover so easily.

Gaius halted in his tracks. He raised one of his eyebrows and slowly walked back. "When you say that Lyanna is hiding the Druid boy, I take that means that you are helping her?" he assumed.

"Sort of." He shrugged.

"Merlin, you promised me that you wouldn't get involved," the physician helped him remember, clearly disappointed.

"I know. I'm sorry. I had no choice. I'm not alone in this you know," Merlin blurted out as well, standing up. Gaius directly turned to face the flushed Lyanna, who sighed.

"Fine," Lyanna gave in, raising her hands. "Morgana is in it as well. But we promised not to tell anyone." She briefly looked at Merlin with narrowed eyes. "So that's why I didn't. Because it's wrong not to keep to your word."

Gaius rolled with his eyes, tired of the drama. "Every guard in Camelot is searching for this boy, and the two of you are harboring him under their very noses. Can't you see how dangerous that is? What were you thinking of?"

"I couldn't hand him to the guards," Lyanna explained. "Mordred is a good lad. They will kill him if they find him. We cannot let that happened. He's done nothing wrong. Being a Druid is no crime."

"I understand that, my dear. But do you honestly believe that you can save this boy? What happens if you will get caught? Who is going to save you?"

"You're saying it's wrong to harbor a young magician?" Merlin asked, his expression blank. That was a question that silenced the physician for a moment. Merlin drifted off in his own thoughts as he took a few paces and started to look ahead of him.

Lyanna acted without thinking and laid her head on his shoulder. She felt how he absentmindedly grabbed her hand and squeezed into it. She wanted to comfort him. She didn't want him to feel bad.

"The different is that your magic is still secret. Though it's a wonder, considering how careless you are," Gaius explained.

"The boy's hurt," Lyanna told him. "He's really sick. I've tried to help him, but he's getting worse. We need your help."

"So, now you want me to risk my neck, too?" I wish the boy no harm, but it's too dangerous."

Merlin turned to face him. "But if you don't we may as well hand him over to the guards, because he will die anyway. You didn't turn your back on me. Please don't turn your back on him."

The physician paused before he sighed. "Very well. Let's get going then."

Lyanna felt the anxiety disappear from her stomach as they walked towards her chambers. Morgana opened the door. She was surprised when she saw who stood before her. "Lyanna," she muttered puzzled, eying the princess. "I had no idea that you told Gaius."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, walking past her. "But we need his help. The boy is ill and he might be the only one who can treat him."

That convinced Morgana. The two healers made their way over to Mordred who was still lying behind the curtain. Guinevere, Morgana and Merlin stood behind them as they watched what they did. Lyanna started to explain what she had done to help him, while Gaius started to examine him.

"I will treat the boy, but as soon as he's well, you must get him out of Camelot. And woe betide anyone caught helping him," Gaius told them before he focused his attention back on the boy. "Well, one thing we know for certain."

"What's that?" Merlin asked curiously.

"That Lyanna truly is a physician. She did well." Lyanna smiled warmly at him in return.

It hadn't taken long until they figured out a way to smuggle the boy out of Camelot. Merlin had told them about a secret door in the armoury which leads to the lower town and Morgana had decided that she would be the one the fulfill it. The main problem that they had encountered was that Arthur possessed the key that belonged to that door.

Lyanna was standing against the wall, while she looked at Mordred whose condition had improved remarkably. He was wide awake and looking healthy again. She couldn't help but feel at unease. The words of Kilgarrah kept repeating themselves inside her mind. You should not protect him. The two of you and the boy are as different as day and night.

Gwen stood beside Morgana who was getting dressed in the clothes of her Servant, so she could easily blend in. She sighed when she clasped the red cloak around her shoulders. "I feel I've put you in danger without ever stopping to ask how you two feel about it. I'm sorry."

"I know how it feels to face the threat of an execution. And I wouldn't wish that on anyone." Gwen dark eyes were filled with sadness and Lyanna could tell how difficult it still was for her. Her father had threatened with an execution at all because when her father had magically cured while the rest of Camelot had fallen under a mysterious sickness. Lyanna exhaled deeply and realized how badly she missed Marie. It had been months she her servant had passed away, but she still hadn't gotten over it. She financially supported her friend's family since she was gone and had even made a small memorial stone in the secret garden. Arthur had only hugged her when he had found it.

There came a knock on the door, and they heard a voice say 'It's Merlin.' Gwen went to open the door while Morgana walks towards Mordred.

"We're going to get you out of Camelot. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise," the King's ward promised him. Lyanna knew that she meant it. She had argued for a couple of hours with Morgana about who was going to smuggle Mordred out of Camelot, and Morgana had won. She trusted the King's ward with her life.

The warlock stood before them. "Are you ready?"

Morgana nodded. "Did you get the keys?"

Merlin looked at Mordred. "Yeah," he muttered, turning his attention back to her. "The door is behind the shield at the far end of the armoury." He gave the key to her.

"I'll pack you some food and water for the journey," Gwen informed her. "Be careful."

Both Merlin and Gwen exited the chamber. Lyanna was about to follow them. Out of nowhere Mordred wrapped his arms around Lyanna's middle and she lifted him up in her arms. "Please stay safe," she whispered to him, and placed a light kiss upon his cheek. "It's good to see you better again."

"We will see each other again," Merlin replied.

She gently put him back on the ground again. "We sure will," she agreed with him. "Stay close to Morgana. You're safe with her and she will look after you." Mordred nodded understandingly and Lyanna faced Morgana. "Good luck. You'll need it."

"Thank you," Morgana replied. With that they walked out of her chambers. For now there was nothing that she could do anymore. It was all up to Morgana now.

Lyanna knew that Merlin would help Gwen with preparing the supplies. She wandered through the castle, unsure where to go to, until she found her father seated in the dining hall. He looked up when he saw her entering.

"Lyanna," he greeted, sounding a bit surprised. "Is everything alright, my dear?"

She cursed inwardly that he was able to see that so easily. "I'm alright, Sire," she replied, sitting down at the table. "I just wanted to see how you were doing.

Uther gave her a warm smile. "I'm pleased that you decided to do that. I was already wondering where you were and if you wanted to dine with me."

"I'd love to," Lyanna assured, giving him a similar smile in return. "I spent most of the day gathering herbs with Gaius and doing his round with him. Because of all the security it took twice as long to finish." She was surprised by how good that lie sounded.

"I see." He filled a goblet with wine and handed it to her. "I believe that you're becoming rather passionate about healing."

She nodded. "I am. It sure is something that I love to do, Father. I'm still grateful for the opportunity that you've given to me."

"You never cease to amaze me, my dear," Uther responded proudly. "I just want to see you happy."

Lyanna smiled. "I can tell you that I am very happy here, Sire." And she was telling the truth. Even though she was pretty anxious at the moment for Morgana and Mordred, she also realized how wonderful her life was, even though she couldn't show anyone the real her.

The food was being brought in. They both waited until the Servant exited the dining room again. "How was your day, Father?" Lyanna asked interested, picking up her fork.

"Quite busy," the King answered, taking a bite from the pork. "Everything was pretty chaotic now that everyone is looking for the Druid boy. I just want him to be found."

Before she could say anything the warning bell sounded. A guard immediately entered. "Prince Arthur found the Druid boy, My Lord. He was being helped by someone."

Uther rose from his chair. "By who?" he demanded to know.

"By Lady Morgana, My Lord."

The King growled before he turned to look at his daughter. "Did you know about this?"

Lyanna shook her head. "No, Sire. I'm just as surprised as you are. Surely I noticed some strange behavior, but I had no idea that she was harboring the Druid boy, honestly." She hated lying, but she had no other choice.

Obviously dinner was canceled and Uther had some business to arrange. Morgana was being thrown into the cells as a punishment where she had to spend the night. Lyanna was in her own chamber looking through the large windows. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear someone entering her chamber.

"Lyanna." At the sound of her own name she nearly jumped out of her own skin, and abruptly turned around to her brother's servant standing before her.

"Merlin," she gasped. "Why must you always startle me like that?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I did know. I just came in to see how you're doing."

She smiled faintly. During the time that she had known him, she got aware how kind he was towards everyone. She was mostly grateful for his friendship.

"I honestly don't know whether or not I should be happy that Mordred is captured," Lyanna finally said. When she looked in his eyes she felt something stirring inside of her. His eyes were so captivating. She wondered why she was once again staring at them.

"Lyanna," Merlin said puzzled. She broke her staring. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she quickly answered, hiding her flushed cheek behind the sleeve of her dress. "I'm still thinking about what the Great Dragon has said. Should we surely do nothing to save Mordred? I mean he's only a boy and has no bad intention."

"I'm not sure," he responded, shrugging. "I'm just as confused as you are. I truly want to save him from Uther. But I'm not sure if that's what I'm supposed to be doing."

She sighed, her ribs feeling heavy. "Neither do I."

It was around nightfall that Lyanna wandered through the corridors of the castle. She had spent the whole day with Gwen staring out of the window. She didn't want to see the Mordred getting executed at dawn the next morning, but the words of the Great Dragon weighed heavily in her mind. It didn't seem to matter what she did. Every direction was turning towards a death end.

Slowly, she opened the door of Arthur's chamber where she found her brother standing before the window with Morgana behind him. They were both so lost in their conversation that they didn't hear her entering. "And this is how you will rule when you are King?" Morgana asked perplexed, disappointment in her voice. "You're not like your father."

Arthur leisurely turned his head to face her. "I will not betray him." His gaze lingered to his sibling who was standing before the door. "Lyanna, please come in."

Lyanna was hesitant. "I'm not sure if it's the right time. The two of you are obviously discussing something private, which I don't need to hear," she objected. Ever since Morgana got caught she hadn't spoken a word with her.

"Nonsense," Arthur objected, motioning her to come towards him, while he sat down at the table. "You have every right to hear this. Morgana is asking me to break the Druid boy out of the dungeons. What do you think?"

Lyanna hazel eyes widened. "You plan to free him?" she asked bewildered, facing the King's ward. "Are you sure that's wise?"

Morgana nodded. "What else can we do? I cannot let him die."

Just like that the door swung open and Merlin entered the room, causing everyone to look at him. "Sorry," he apologized. "Was I interrupting something?"

"Nothing you need concern yourself with. Go make yourself useful, muck out my horses," the prince ordered.

"I trust Merlin," Morgana protested. "And I know that Lyanna does as well."

Lyanna merely blinked when Arthur briefly looked at her before he sighted and motioned for his servant to enter. "We're going to break the Druid boy out of the dungeons."

Lyanna was surprised that Arthur had easily decided to do such a thing. She couldn't help but feel at unease because of that. She hated that her feelings about Mordred were so unsure. She had thought him to be kind, but now she didn't know the truth anymore. She didn't understand where the Great Dragon's warning was coming from. It could've been based on a lie. Clearly Merlin agreed with her. "You can't do that."

"We have to," Morgana said determined. "Uther is going to execute him at dawn."

"I mean… it's too dangerous. You're already been caught once, and if the King catches you a second time he'll never forgive you," Merlin explained.

"I'm not worried for myself," Morgana replied.

Lyanna exhaled deeply. "Merlin is right," she said. "When our father finds out the boy has escaped he will suspect you being involved. It's suicide."

Arthur agreed with her. "You must go to our father and apologize. Dine with him, he cannot hold you responsible if you're with him when the boy escapes."

Morgana tilted her head. "You need me if the plan's to work. You can't do this on your own."

The prince looked at his servant with a smug smile. "Merlin will take your place. I cannot possible ask Lyanna to assist me in case our father will suspect that one of you is involved with this. I'm going to take the boy through the burial vaults. There's a tunnel that leads beyond the city walls. Get my horse from the stables and meet me there. There's a grate that covers the entrance to the tunnel. Bring a rope and a grabbling hook to pull it off."

Lyanna couldn't believe that Arthur was asking something like this from his servant. Yet she couldn't tell them about what the warning of Kilgharrah.

"Do you understand?" Arthur asked, eying Merlin as he stood before him. "If you're not there to meet us, we'll surely be caught."

He paused until he nodded uncertainly. Both Morgana and Arthur exited the chamber, leaving the two young sorcerers alone with their thoughts. They stood there for a while in silence, thinking about their next move.

"Follow me," Lyanna eventually said, breaking the silence. She noticed the confusion in his eyes. "We need to speak with Kilgharrah. He may be the only one that knows what to do."

He followed her to the cave without asking any questions. They found the Great Dragon lying on the large rock in middle of the cave. "I need to know why you told us not to protect the boy," Merlin started, causing the dragon to look up at them.

"You seek my counsel and yet you choose to ignore it," Kilgharrah answered, clearly offended from their previous encounter.

"Because we don't know why," Lyanna replied, clamping on towards the torch in her hand. There had to be a reason why they cannot trust a Druid boy.

"If the boy lives, the two of you cannot fulfill your destiny."

"What has he got to do with our destiny? You said that it was our destiny to protect Arthur," Merlin responded.

"Then you have the answer that you seek," the Great Dragon answered.

Lyanna exchanged a look with Merlin, wondering if they both though the same thing. "Are you telling us that Mordred is going to kill Arthur?" she guessed.

"It seems that it is up to you two."

They were both silent for a brief moment. "No," Merlin said determined, shaking his head. "You can't know that for certain."

"You have it in your powers to prevent a great evil," Kilgharrah explained.

"There must be another way. The future isn't set in stone!" Merlin objected, his voice filled with confusion.

"You must let the boy die."

Lyanna felt a feeling of unease growing inside the pit of her stomach. Mordred seemed so harmless, was completely the opposite. She didn't want to believe it. Kilgharrah had to be wrong.

She wanted to ask the dragon more questions but Merlin already pulled her along with him out of the cave. They were both lost in their own thoughts until they reached her chambers and closed the door behind them. "What do we do now?" Lyanna asked, her voice faint. "You have told Arthur that you would be there to help him free Mordred."

He sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. "I'm not sure," he answered, letting his shoulders hunch in defeat. "I hate feeling like this. I want to help them, but if it's truly the boy's destiny to kill Arthur…" His voice trailed off.

In one smooth motion she grabbed his hand and squeezed into it. It was the only form of comfort that she could think of, that she could give him. "I'm sure that we will think of something," she said hopefully. "Like we always do. We're going to figure this out together."

He met her gaze. "Why are you so optimistic?" he asked doubtfully.

"How can you not be?" she asked in return, a faint smile on her lips. "One must always remain hope, even if there is only a small chance of success. It is what keeps you going."

Merlin chuckled quietly, feeling much better already. "You sure are wiser you're your brother," he joked.

She joined his laughter. "Well, that's not really difficult," Lyanna muttered. When her gaze lingered to the window she noticed the darkness in the sky and sighed. "I believe that I need to get ready for dinner. I don't want Uther to think that I'm involved with any of this."

"Right," Merlin murmured, standing up. "Do you need any help?"

Lyanna scoffed. "I think that I'm old enough to do this myself," she responded, giving him a gentle smile. "Thanks for everything Merlin."

He flashed his trademark smile before he walked out of her chambers. The princess quickly changed into a red gown, and brushed her blonde hair. She didn't want to put much effort into her outfit, but she didn't want to look simple as well.

During dinner Lyanna was seated beside her father. The two of them were chatting peacefully together when Morgana entered the dining room and started to apologize for her behavior. Uther bought it and allowed his ward to dine with them.

Lyanna couldn't help but feel a tension during dinner as she listened to her father. Her thought kept wondering to her brother and she hoped that he was still alright. Everything was seemed fine until the warning bell sounded. Lyanna tried to swallow away the anxiety that she felt. This could only mean that they had found out.

"Guard!" Uther shouted. The door immediately swung open and a guard entered the dining room. "Find out why they've sounded the warning bell."

The guard nodded understandingly. "Yes, My Lord."

The tension in the air had grown why they all wondered what had happened. Lyanna was playing absentmindedly with her peas when she heard a familiar voice inside her head. "I'm scared, Darya. They will kill me. Where is Emrys? I don't want to die."

The witch bit her bottom lip, not wanting to draw any attention to herself when she wanted to let out a scream. A part of her wished that she was able to turn off his voice so that she wouldn't have to listen to his cries anymore. She chose to ignore him, outing her anger into crushing the peas with her fork.

"Is everything alright, my dear?"

The voice of her father broke her out of her trance, and she looked up at him. "Yes, Father," she simply responded. "It seems that I'm not that hungry as I thought I was." Well she was telling the truth. Because of everything that was going on eating wasn't her first priority. The King believed her word and didn't ask anything about it.

"Emrys did it," the voice said telepathically, sounding happy. "He freed us. Goodbye Darya. Until we will meet again."

Lyanna felt her entire body tense. Emrys did it? That meant that Merlin had chosen to ignore all the warnings and had helped them escape. She wanted to know what made him do that.

The door of the dining room opened and the same guard entered. "My Lord," he started sadly. "I regret to report that the Druid boy has escaped from the dungeon."

"What?" Uther asked, immediately standing up from his chair. "How?"

"My Lord, he was assisted by some accomplices. The guards are searching Camelot as we speak."

The King made his way over to them. "Find him and his accomplices and kill them," he ordered.

"Yes, My Lord." The guard exited again and the door fell shut.

Uther was now standing before his ward. "If I discover that you were somehow involved in freeing this boy, the consequences will be extremely severe."

"My Lord, you know I respect you too much to ever betray you like that," Morgana answered, pretending to be innocent. Lyanna could see the flash of guilt in her eyes, and wondered why her father didn't. She was a terrible liar.

"I made a promise to your father that I would protect you. But if you cross me again, I will break that promise without a second thought."

After dinner Lyanna was pacing through her chamber. It was late in the evening and her brother still hadn't returned from escaping Mordred and she couldn't help but still feel worried. They may have escaped Camelot, but that couldn't mean that something else had happened.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when there came three energetic knocks on her door and it slowly swung open. When she looked into a pair of blue eyes she felt a sea of calmness washing through her. "Merlin," she sighed relieved, being pleased to see him. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought that you were with Arthur."

"I was," he answered, entering her chamber. "He told me to head back before your father would burn me in the boy's place."

Lyanna tilted her head to the side. "That does sound like him. What happened?"

He fidgeted with his fingers, a nervous habit Lyanna possessed herself. "I didn't plan to save the boy. I was in my chambers trying to get some sleep instead when I heard his voice clear inside my mind. He was begging me to help. I couldn't resist him. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't. So I helped them escape. Arthur is taking him to the others as we speak."

She could tell that he felt pretty guilty about all this, and that it hadn't been his intention at all. "It's alright," she assured him, grabbing his hand. His eyes met hers while she let her fingers roam over his warm skin, which felt extremely pleasant under her touch. "You did what you had to. If I wasn't having dinner with the King I would've helped him as well. There is no need to feel bad about this. We did the right thing. He's save now and so is Arthur."

Merlin didn't say anything in return but just continued to stare at her in silence. All was good now.

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**I really like Mordred :D **

**Please review/favorite or follow! :)**

**I'll see you guys next week x**


	10. Excalibur

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Thanks everyone for the kind reviews and for the people who are following this story!

**EmilyGrace31: I'm glad to see that you're liking it so much :D Yes! Merlin and Lyanna are both adorable aren't they haha :') I****'m trying to make the sibling bond between Arthur and Lyanna feel as natural as possible :p I'm also a huge sucker for beautiful blue eyes *_* That's mainly why I also like Mordred a lot haha. And you're most welcome, dear. It only felt right to update especially for you haha. I hope you're still happy now :D**

**KatieWatsonHolmes: Oh wow you're going fast with watching the series haha. Please do accept all those hugs because more are coming :P It pleases me to hear that you think that. Merlin is such a cutiepie right? I want to have my own Merlin haha. Oh, you've fallen in love? :D that warms my heart. And yes I've noticed the grammar mistake and I appreciate you informing me because it slipped me when I was checking for mistakes. Just to let you know that English isn't my first language, but I'm trying :)**

**Waszka098: Thank you AGAIN for reviewing! Well, I can't tell about that just yet because it's still many chapters away and I'm not there with writing yet, but I can promise you the ending of this story is going to be different than that of the series ;) *hint hint hint***

**A/N- **Currently I don't have any school for a while and I have more time so I do hope to write the next chapter sooner for you dearies. Also I've made a new banner which I hope suites the story better.

**Please enjoy the next chapter!**

**- x Milou Lilly**

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**Chapter ten: Excalibur **

It was late in the afternoon when Lyanna walked through the stables. She had only just returned from a long ride with Lumiere through the nearby forest, enjoying the warm fall weather.

The horse snorted when she patted its pink nose. Ever since she had got him from her father she had spent many hours training the horse. He had become more obedient and a loyal friend. The other day he had bitten one of the stable boys when he had gotten too close to her. It had only been a sign of protection and friendship.

"Lyanna."

She turned around to see who was calling her name and saw her maid standing behind her. She had a bewildered look in her dark eyes as she took in the state of the clothing from the princess. "What happened to your clothes?"

Lyanna's gaze lingered down to her own body so she could see what she was talking about. Her favorite riding dress was covered in dirt, while there was mud and twigs in her hair. She looked as if she had been rolling in the mud.

"Uhm," she started, scratching the back of her head. "I fell." It was the truth. Lumiere got startled when a squirrel had jumped out of a tree and had landed in front of him. He had pranced, causing her to fall down in the process.

Gwen sighed, already realizing that it was going to take hours to make her look decent again. "We should get to the castle, My Lady. It's your name day today and you're brothers ceremony is in a few hours."

She had completely forgotten about the ceremony that was being organized for her brother. Luckily Gwen was there to help her out with remembering things like that. "Fine," Lyanna growled, cursing inwardly. "Let's go then."

When they reached her chambers Gwen immediately started to prepare a bath for her, to get rid of all the mud stains of her body. After the warm bath Gwen started to brush her blonde hair. She helped her into a sleeveless bright blue dress, with a lighter blue vest over it. Her lips were colored bright red, and Gwen applied some blue eye shadow.

"You look beautiful," Gwen complimented here when she was finished with helping her get dressed for tonight. "You'll sure steal everyone's attention."

Lyanna smiled happily at the maid, her gaze briefly lingering to the silver bracelet that she had given to her that was around her wrist, before looking back at her. "Thank you, Gwen. You're a good friend."

When Lyanna entered the chambers of her brother she found him standing behind the chamber fold while Merlin stood before it. "My Lady," Merlin said, bowing his head in greeting. Whenever there were other people around he used to address her like that, even though he knew that she hated it. They just didn't want to draw any attention.

"Hi Merlin," she greeted in return as she saw his gaze lingering over her body. "Isn't Arthur finished yet?"

"Uhm," the servant stammered, his cheeks flushing red.

"I am," came the voice of her brother, causing the princess to smile at Merlin.

Arthur stepped away from the chamber fold, completely dressed in the armour of Camelot. "Is there any reason why you are here, dear sister?"

Lyanna made a face at him as she started to clasp the bright red cloak around his neck. "Well, it is our name day. Nonetheless since the ceremony is hold in your name I have the pleasure to escort you there. Anyway I came here to make that Merlin has dressed you properly." She shot a sideway glance to his manservant who's eyes widened. "Don't worry, Merlin, you did a great job." She looked at her brother again. "Are you nervous?"

"No," Arthur answered firmly. Lyanna cocked one of her eyebrows. "Fine. Maybe a little." She knew him better than she knew herself and she was enjoying having a brother like that. "I got you something. Wait."

Arthur turned around and grabbed a big green box from the nearby table. Lyanna watched it with widened eyes and carefully took off the lid and exposed a sword inside. There was some engraving on the inside in the ancient tongue, but she could read it. 'The love that binds us is more important than the power we wield' it said and Lyanna couldn't help but smile with glee at this surprise.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she squeaked cheerfully and wrapped her brother into a tight embrace. "I love it! It's perfect! I cannot wait to use it!"

"I'm glad that you like it. You need to train with it so you'll get used to this sword," Arthur said pleased as she slowly let go off her.

"I've got you something as well." She clapped into her hands and Gwen entered the room, carrying something small which was covered underneath a cloth. Arthur's curiosity grew and he quickly pulled the cloth away to reveal a necklace. It was made of gold and existed of a small dragon pendant. Arthur couldn't help but grin while Lyanna clasped it around his neck. "It looks good on you."

"I love it, Lee," he said and placed his hands on her shoulder. "Although you didn't need to give me anything. You've already given me the most beautiful gift. A sister." Tears were now streaming down Lyanna's cheek which she couldn't hold in any longer. She felt loved and blessed. "Come now," Arthur supplied and held out his arm. She hooks her arm through his and together they exited the chambers, followed suit by Merlin and Gwen.

The walk through the ceremonial hall went in silence, as everyone stared at the future King of Camelot and his sister. When they reached the front of the room Lyanna stepped to the side beside Morgana while Arthur knelt in front of his father.

"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom and its dominions according to the statues, costumes and laws laid down by your forebears?" Uther asked.

"I do, Sire," Arthur promised.

"Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in your deeds and judgments?"

"I do, Sire," he repeated.

"And do you swear allegiance to Camelot, now and for as long as you shall live?" Uther asked.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its peoples."

Uther took a crown from one of the servant, and placed it on top of his son's head. "Now being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot."

The court applauded cheerfully and Lyanna couldn't help but smile happily at her brother who stood up and faced the crowd. Everyone screamed in horror when a Black Knight on a horse burst through the stained-glass window. The knights immediately drew their swords as Arthur followed their example and pushed his sister behind him.

"What in the devil's name?" Uther demanded to know.

As the horse walked to the front people ran out of the hall. While they all looked bewildered at the knight he threw a gauntlet on the ground. Arthur made the intention to pick it up, the sign of accepting the knight's battle, but another knight got there first. "I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge."

The Black Knight turned his head to him. "Single combat. Noon tomorrow. Till the death." The horse neighed while it pranced before they exited the hall. Everyone looked at each other as silence found its way back into the hall.

When Lyanna entered the physician chambers that night she had hoped to run into Gaius. Instead she found Merlin standing in the middle of the chamber wearing a white nightshirt. The buttons of the shirt were open, exposing half of his chest. "Hi," Lyanna greeted puzzled, trying to keep her attention fixed upon his face. She felt her cheeks gone red. "Is Gaius here?"

"No," the warlock replied, running his fingers through his messy hair. "He had some business that he needed to take care of. Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, putting on a faint smile. He gave her a sad look in return causing her to give in. "Alright. Stop looking like a puppy." She fidgeted with her mother's necklace. "I'm worried. I fear for Sir Owain's life."

Merlin stood in front of her. "Is this why you came here? To talk to Gaius?"

She nodded. "Well not particularly with Gaius. Maybe I came here for you."

As she said that his cheeks flushed crimson, and he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Erm –"

"There is no need to be embarrassed, Merlin. I've already told you that I care for you. Besides you come to my chambers whenever you please, so why shouldn't I do the same."

He chuckled. "Good point. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Lyanna shrugged. "I feel much better by talking," she answered simply. "Besides I should get going again. You were obviously planning to get some sleep according to your bed look." His cheeks flushed at that.

She turned towards the door. "Lyanna wait," he called after her. She turned her heels to face him. Merlin fidgeted with his fingers. "If you don't want to be alone you are more than welcome to stay here if you like."

His sudden question surprised her and her jaw slowly fell open. A sea of warmth floated through her veins as she looked directly into his cloudless blue eyes.

The last time that she had spent a night here she had fallen asleep in his bed. That had been months ago when they were looking for a cure to create a potion together. Surely that must have given him the wrong impression since nothing was going on between them. Yet there was something that kept pulling him to him. Something which wasn't familiar to her.

"I don't know if that's wise," Lyanna carefully objected, not wanting to cause any trouble. She knew that if she wouldn't be in her chamber around dawn the following morning that people were going to suspect things.

"It's no problem," he assured her, smiling nervously. "Gaius won't be home for hours. Besides we've enough place and it would put my mind at ease if I could keep an eye on you."

Lyanna could tell that he really wanted her to stay by the way that he spoke to her and how he looked at her. She really wanted to stay here as well, where she felt the safest. The last thing that she wanted right now was to be alone. "Alright, I will stay," she replied. "But I have to be back in my room tomorrow before Gwen does so no one will notice my absence."

Merlin's eyes twinkled at her respond. "Great. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm fine," Lyanna replied unsure.

She followed Merlin into his small room up the stairs. As she entered she realized that he had probably cleaned up his room since the last time that she had gotten here. The room was a lot smaller than the one she had, but it felt cozier. Lyanna sat down on the edge of the bed, looking through the room while Merlin ruffled through the drawer.

"What are you looking for?" she wondered.

"Nothing special," he replied, half lost in his own thoughts. Lyanna could tell that it was definitely something special, else he wouldn't be searching like that. He let out a relieved sight when he found a book. He turned towards the princess and handed it to her. "See it as a birthday present."

She cocked one of her eyebrows at him and slowly opened the book, only to reveal the spells that were written in the inside. It was a magic book, and was filled with all sorts of different spells. On the cover stood an engraving in the ancient tongue and said 'Never alone. Always together.'

"Why are you giving this to me? It must've cost a fortune!" she protested. Never before had she had a magical book before and she was over the moon with her gift. But she knew that consequences that could happen if someone where to find this book in her chambers. She had to be cautious with it.

Merlin shrugged. "That's nothing what should concern you. Gaius helped out a bit as well, because he knows where to find things like this. Let's say that you've deserved it."

Tears were stinging in her eyes. "You're far too kind for me, Merlin. It's the most beautiful present I've ever gotten! I love it!" She leaped onto her feet and wrapped her arms around him in one smooth motion. He returned her embrace and pulled her closer against him. "Thank you. Have I ever said to you that I care about you?"

"I don't mind hearing it again," he joked. She couldn't help but laugh while her tears stained his tunic. Leave it to Merlin to cheer her up again like that. He had the talent to do that to her and she was grateful for it. "I'm ruining your clothes."

"I've got others," he assured her. It was clear as day that Merlin was opening up whenever he was around Lyanna. She treated him as a normal human being even though she was a noble and shouldn't suppose to be so close to someone like him, but he knew that Lyanna didn't care about that. He valued her friendship the most of everyone that he knew, because she understood him better than anyone else.

He let go of her and they sat down onto his bed. Silence fell between them while Lyanna began to flutter through the book that he had just given her, with fascination in her eyes. She couldn't believe he had gotten her a spell book! As she looked at the several pages in pure astonishment she didn't notice that Merlin was observing at her.

"I believe my gift is well appreciated," he supplied with a smug grin.

Lyanna looked up. Her hazel eyes were twinkling like stars and she pulled him in for another embrace. Normally she didn't hug people this easily, but for some reason it felt different with Merlin. He noticed that she fitted perfectly into his arms, as if she was made for him. His cheeks flushed at that thought. He couldn't think that.

"I cannot put how grateful I am for getting this into words, Merlin," Lyanna responded against his chest. She was pretty much over the moon. One of Merlin's hands was resting on her waist while the other gently ran through her golden hair. She took in his forest and lemon scent which reminded her that she was safe. Slowly Lyanna pulled away again and their gazes met. "I don't know how I can ever thank you for this."

Carefully Merlin tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear while she smiled tenderly at him. He knew that he was just a servant and that she was the princess of Camelot, but at that moment that didn't seem important. He only saw Lyanna, the young woman he cared dearly about. Lyanna blushed at the attention. "There's no need for that. I'm just glad that you like it."

"How can I not like it?" Lyanna couldn't stop grinning. "Everything about it is perfect." She still remembered that she had mentioned that she had wanted a spell book of her own a few months' pass, but she couldn't predict that she would be getting one of her one. It seemed too good to be true.

"Why don't I help you with practicing some simple spells?" Merlin suggested. Lyanna nodded enthusiastically and handed him the spell book. He flashed her a warm smile while he fluttered through the book for a suitable spell that they could practice together. They sat there on his bed for a while practicing a couple of spells and after a few hours Lyanna fell asleep. Merlin gently tugged her underneath the covers and sat down on a chair by the window and placed a blanket over himself. The sat there until he eventually drifted off to sleep himself.

Several hours later he awoke to hearing Lyanna's screaming Arthur's name. He jolted awake and rushed over to the bed. She was kicking and twisting in her sleep and continued to shout her brother's name.

"Lyanna, ssst," Merlin gently tried to reassure her and grabbed her wrists. "It's only a bad dream." Lyanna woke up. Tears were streaming down her cheek and she was bathing in sweat. He cradled her against his chest in the hope that she would calm down and would stop shaking. "It's over now. You're safe here. Do you want to talk about it?"

"M—my… My brother... He killed my brother," she sobbed hysterically. She never had dreams this vivid before and was frightened. She wasn't a seer and therefore she knew that what she dreamt didn't come to pass, but it still scared her because it had looked so real. "He killed him. He was dead."

"Arthur is alive," he told her with a placid voice. "No harm will come to him."

Lyanna believed him. She was too tired to argue with him and therefore she kept quiet. Slowly, Merlin pulled away and their gazes locked. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. He addressed her a warm smile before he stood up and began to lit a candle on the nightstand. "My mother always lighted a candle whenever I had a nightmare. She told me that it would keep them away," he clarified.

She could only smile at that. It was too sweet. "And did it work?" she wondered.

"I like to believe so. If not I'll be here to fight of the nightmares," he assured her.

"And how to you plan to do that?"

"By using my magic to scare them away." She laughed lightly at that. "Go back to sleep, Lyanna," Merlin supplied. "I'll be watching over you. There is nothing to be scared of."

His words reassured her and she dared to place her head back onto the pillow. Minutes later Merlin heard her regular breathing, letting him know that she had fallen asleep. He sat down at his chair again and let sleep come over himself.

The next morning Lyanna woke up by the first sunrays that crept inside the small bedroom. She yawned and stretched herself and noticed that she wasn't lying in her own bed, but in Merlin. She sat him sitting in the chair by the window and felt kind of guilty that he had to sleep in such an uncomfortable place.

"Merlin," she greeted him in a cheerful manner when she climbed out of the bed and began to pull open the curtains to let more sunrays into the room. She heard him moan in displeasure because it was too early. "Merlin, it's time to wake up. I'll make you some breakfast."

She walked out of the bedroom to give him some time to properly wake up and to get changed. Gaius was already awake and looked a bit blown away to see the princess leaving the bedroom of his ward, and raised his eyebrow at her. "Good morning Gaius," she said happily. "Merlin had offered me to stay here last night because I was worried for Sir Owain," she clarified as she walked to the small kitchen. "I'll make some breakfast."

"I can see that you're feeling better now," the old physician deduced smugly.

Lyanna nodded a couple of times. "Much better," she replied, grinning widely. She began to prepare some breakfast and quietly hummed a song that Arthur used to sing to her whenever she was little.

While she placed three bowls on the table Merlin walked out of his bedroom, wearing some different clothes than the previous day. Their gazes met for a brief second and both sorcerers smiled warmly at each other. "Breakfast is ready," she announced.

They sat down at the table and began to eat the porridge that Lyanna had prepared. Not many words were said and once they had finished Lyanna quickly left the physician quarter room with her spell book underneath her arm. She managed to enter her own chamber without getting noticed by one of the guards. Gwen helped her dress for the day. Together with Arthur and Merlin she stood in Sir Owain's chamber to help him prepare for the upcoming battle an hour later.

"You've never fought in mortal combat before. It's different. It's not like the training we've been giving you," Arthur warned him. Lyanna watched how Merlin clasped the cloak of Camelot around Sir Owain's neck. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she thought back at the events of last night.

"I know, My Lord," the knight replied unimpressed.

She had fought with Owain during several trainings and she knew what an incredibly good knight he was. But she also knew that there was only a small chance of succeeding against the Black Knight, who looked indestructible.

"Listen to me," Arthur ordered, turning him around by grapping his shoulders. Merlin eyed Lyanna who smiled faintly. "The problem is, we've never seen him fight. You have to quickly get the measure of him."

"But I have the same advantage," Sir Owain responded hopeful. "He's never seen me fight."

"Well that is true," Lyanna agreed, shrugging a little.

"You two have watched me," he continued, eying the siblings.

"Yes," Arthur said.

"And?"

Arthur swallowed before looking at his sister for a second. He placed his hand on the knight's shoulder. "And I know no one braver. Remember, all it takes to kill a man is one well-aimed blow."

The door opened. Gwen entered and gave Lyanna and Merlin a warm smile before she curtsied to Owain. "The Lady Morgana asked me to give you this token. She wishes you wear it for luck," Gwen said, extending her hand in which a red ribbon lied.

"You can thank her, and tell her I shall wear it with pride," Sir Owain replied. "But I won't need luck."

They all exchanged a doubtful look with each other behind the back of the knight. Neither one of them had the faith that he stood a chance against the Black Knight. Lyanna smoothly wrapped her arm around her Servant shoulder. "Come on, Gwen. We should get going."

Together the two women made their way over to the arena where they sat down in the stands. They chatted peacefully with Morgana about ordinary things which helped to relieve the stress a little. Everything was alright until Lyanna got aware of the presence of the Black Knight that stood in the middle of the arena, who had probably stood there the whole time.

They all stood up when Sir Owain entered the arena followed by Arthur and Merlin. When the King sat down on the throne everyone followed his example. A heavy tension was hanging in the air, making Lyanna extremely nervous about what would happen.

"The fight shall be to the knight's rules!" Arthur spoke loudly so that everyone could hear him clearly. "To the death!" As Arthur sidled to the stands one of the Servant took off the cloak from Sir Owain. "Let the battle commence!" Arthur yelled, sitting down beside his sister.

The fight began and the two knights both started to swing with their blades. It turned out that the Black Knight was fighting pretty aggressively and Owain was trying to block his attacks with his shield.

Everyone was holding their breaths as the Black Knight nearly managed to hit Owain with a strong blow.

"Come on, Owain," Gwen muttered under her breath. Lyanna grabbed the hand of her servant in the hope to comfort her, and that her own nerves would settle down.

The Black Knight was obviously the better one, and Sir Owain didn't stand a chance against the constant blows.

"One well-aimed blow," Arthur yelled at him, as a reminder.

Owain managed to stab him in the gut, causing Lyanna to clap with relieve. Maybe there was hope for him. Only that hope disappeared when the Black Knight continued to fight and easily stabbed Owain. The crowd gasped in horror. Morgana's ribbon fluttered on the ground. The Black Knight faced the crowd and took off his gauntlet. "Who will take up my challenge?" the Black Knight asked, throwing his gauntlet on the ground.

Arthur tried to bolt over the barrier of the stands, but his father and Lyanna grabbed him. She couldn't let him fight. That would mean that she would lose him and that was the last thing that she wanted.

Another knight jumped over the stand and took up the gauntlet. "I, Sir Pellinor, take up the challenge."

"So be it."

While the Black Knight left the arena Lyanna saw that Arthur was fuming with anger. She knew how badly that he wanted to fight, but she couldn't let him. There was something strange about this Black Knight and she wanted to know what it was.

It was after nightfall when Lyanna entered the tunnel corridor to the Burial Vaults with Gaius and Merlin. The warlock had showed up at her chamber a few hours ago explaining her that the physician suspected something about the Black Knight. Without asking any questions she had decided to join them in the hope to find out something about this stranger, in the hope to stop him.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Merlin asked hesitantly, as they looked in the darkness at the bottom of the corridor.

"You're not scared, are you?" Gaius asked, walking down the steps. "Lyanna surely isn't."

She made a face at them. "It sure isn't the time to be scared."

"I'm not scared," Merlin clarified. "I love old crypts. I wouldn't be seen dead anywhere else." The sarcasm was dripping of his voice, causing Lyanna to chuckle quietly as she walked passed him.

The door slam shut behind them. They all turned around to see what may have caused it. Darkness surrounded them completely, making it impossible for them to look in front of them. "Must've been a gust of wind," Lyanna guessed. "We should've brought a torch."

"Leohtbora," Merlin chanted, lighting a torch sitting in the wall of the tunnel.

"Huh. Handy," Gaius said impressed.

"Why didn't I think of that?" the princess muttered, feeling dumb. She could see Merlin's bright smile in the dim light of the torch.

They walked amongst the graves. "What are we looking for?" Merlin wondered doubtfully.

"Bring your torch over here," Gaius ordered, pointing to a nearby tomb.

"Are we going to break into someone's grave?" Lyanna asked as she made her way over to the physician. They stood before the tomb which was being opened. Lyanna covered her mouth behind her hand as she gasped when she felt a shiver going through her spine.

"We're too late," Gaius informed. "I think someone's already broken out." The two sorcerers exchanged a confused look with each other, both uncertain what this meant. They all made their way back to the physician chambers. "Tristan Dobois was the brother of Ygraine, Uther's wife," Gaius told them.

"My mother?" Lyanna asked bewildered. Never before had someone mentioned that her mother had another brother.

"Ygraine died in childbirth. He blamed Uther and came to the gates of Camelot and challenged him to a single combat." The physician grabbed one of his books from the table, and opened it before them. "Uther won. But in his dying breath, Tristan cursed Camelot to one day suffer his return. I thought it was the rambling of a dying man."

"Men don't just rise up from the dead, though, no matter how angry they are," Merlin replied brightly.

Gaius opened the book. "It's my guess we're dealing with a wraith."

"A wraith?" Lyanna repeated puzzled. "What is that?" Never before had she heard about a creature like that. The name already made her shiver slightly, but that could also be because of the cold.

"The spirit of a dead man conjured from the grave."

Merlin raised one his eyebrows. "So this is the work of a sorcerer?"

"Powerful magic can harness the grief and rage of a torment soul and make it live again," Gaius informed them.

Lyanna bit in her bottom lip. "Is there a way that we can stop him?"

The physician shook his head. "We can't. Because it's not alive, no mortal weapon can kill it. Nothing can stop it until it has achieved what it came for."

The jaw of Lyanna fell open as she realized what that meant. "He wants revenge. On Camelot. This sure doesn't look good for Sir Pellinor."

Gaius went to assist some patients in the lower town, leaving Lyanna alone with Merlin. She sat down at the table and began to flutter to several books about the history of Camelot in the hope to find some more information about this uncle of hers. There had to be a way to stop this wraith from killing more people.

A while later Merlin sat down beside her. "Lyanna," he said carefully which broke her concentration. She looked up and met his concerning gaze. "I'm well aware that you see it as your duty to stop this wraith from killing more knights, but I want you to know that you're not alone in this. I want to help."

Lyanna smiled warmly at him and placed laced her fingers through his while she blushed vigorously. It had surprised her how right it felt. "There's no one kinder than you, Merlin," she responded gratefully. "But I'm sure that Arthur requires your service right now."

He sighed, knowing that she was right. "I wish that he didn't," he sulked sadly.

"Don't worry about it," she assured him. "We'll find a way to stop my uncle and we're going to do it together. Now you need to see what my brother needs."

She watched him leave the physician quarters while she remained there in the room by herself and continued to flutter through several books. After a while she gave up and decided to spend her time cleaning up the room, which seemed like a logical thing to do because she spend most of her time there. In the end she had cleaned up everything, including the leech-tank. By the time she had finished washing the floor Gaius entered the physician chambers, looking rather astonished to witness this. "Lyanna, what on earth are you doing?"

Lyanna rose to her feet. "It only seemed fair that I would clean the room because I spent a lot of my time here," she clarified simply.

That night Lyanna wondered whether or not if she should confront her father about what she had found out, but decided not to. He wouldn't be too thrilled if he knew that she was spending so much time with the manservant of his son. Instead she fluttered through the magic book that Merlin had given her, studying every spell that she came across.

When the next battle was about start around noon Lyanna was seated beside Arthur and Gwen. A pit of anxiety was growing inside her stomach as she nervously bit her fingers. "Are you alright?" Gwen asked concerned.

She gave her servant a smile. "Maybe. Just a bit worried I guess."

The battle had started between Sir Pellinor and Tristian Dubois. Sir Pellinor was fighting well and the crowd cheered with excitement. Lyanna hoped with all her heart that Gaius was wrong about his deduction the other day and that the knight truly had a change to defeat him.

Sir Pellinor ran Tristian through, but the Black Knight merely blinked. "The sword went in. I'm sure of it," Gwen said convinced.

"I saw it too," Morgana replied.

"As did I," Lyanna assured them, pulling on the sleeves of her dress.

Tristian killed Pellinor and the entire crowd groaned in protest. He turned towards the crowd. Arthur threw his gauntlet down. Both Lyanna and Uther tried their best to stop the future King of Camelot, but he was too fast for them. "I, Arthur Pendragon, challenge you," he said. Lyanna remained motionless. The thing that she had feared most was coming through. Arthur would fight the wraith and die.

"So be it," Tristian muttered in return.

"Single combat. Noon. Tomorrow."

The day went by slowly and Lyanna could only pace through her chamber. She had tried to talk with her brother in the hope to change his mind about tomorrow's battle, but he had made up his mind. There was nothing she could do that could convince him. The door of her room swung open and Merlin entered her chamber. "For what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked with a playful smirk as she turned towards him.

He made his way over to her. "I came here to ask you if you wanted to help me stop Tristian?"

She scoffed. "Do I? There is nothing I rather want. What's the plan?"

"Where is your magic book?" he asked puzzled.

"Tirnak hyska," Lyanna chanted and her eyes flashed gold. A hole appeared in the floor beside her bed and she grabbed the book from it. Since everyone had access to enter her chambers whenever they felt like it, there was no other option than to hide it. And what better way was there than to do it with magic? She had spent the entire evening thinking of a way to hide the book.

She handed it to Merlin who fluttered through the pages for a little while until he had found what he was desperately looking for. He placed the book on the table before them. "Here," he said, pointing at a spell on the page. She remembered reading about it the other day.

Lyanna raised one eyebrow. "You plan to burn Tristian?"

His blue eyes met her green ones. "What else can we do?"

"I'm afraid there is nothing," she sulked sadly. "We better try this."

She grabbed a beige cloak out of her closet and followed Merlin through the corridors of the castle. Together they practiced to pronounce the spell right until they reached the training ground where Tristian stood.

They walked on the tip of their toes. Merlin rubbed his hands together before they both raised their hands. "Cume her frybryne." A path of fire lightened before them, and Tristian was caught on fire. At first when the flames touched him Lyanna couldn't help but feel happy that they had succeeded so easily, but that faded with the fire. Tristian remained unscathed and looked at them.

Both sorcerers hastily ran away, making sure that Tristian wouldn't follow them. "Well that didn't work," Merlin complained once they stood behind a pillar in the castle. "What do we do now?"

"The one thing we can do," Lyanna replied, meeting his gaze. "We're going to need all the luck that we can get because we're going to try to change Arthur's mind."

She started to walk through the corridors. "Are you sure that's wise? You tried that the entire afternoon."

"There's nothing else that we can do. I must do whatever I can to stop this man from killing my brother." She halted and knitted her eyebrows. "This entire situation sure is odd. No one has ever mentioned to me that my mother had another brother beside Agravaine, but they were obviously hiding this."

They burst through the door of Arthurs chamber where they found the prince in middle of his chamber, his sword drawn at them. "Merlin, you know that conversation we had about knocking…"

"You have to pull out," Lyanna started, crossing her arms.

Merlin stood behind her and the princess was able to feel his warm breath in her neck, sending shivers through her spine. It only made her tens up some more. "And why is that?" Arthur asked.

"Because he'll kill you," Merlin clarified smugly.

"Why does everybody think that?"

"Because they're right!" Lyanna snapped, growing tired of this discussion. "Just pull out. You're the Crown Prince of Camelot. No one wants to see you die over some stupid challenge. You can't defeat him."

Arthur looked at his sword. "I'm not a coward."

Lyanna growled in protest. "We know that. You're the finest knight that Camelot has and you will overcome every fear that you'll ever face."

"That's what's requires of me," the prince replied smartly.

"But you are more than that. You're not merely a warrior. You're a prince, a future King! You've proved your courage, but you must prove your wisdom," the warlock ranted. Lyanna was impressed with Merlin's speech and could merely blink at him.

"I'm not backing down," Arthur murmured stubbornly.

"Please, Arthur, listen to us," Merlin pleaded. He moved towards the window. "This is no ordinary knight. Look at him. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep. He just stands there, in complete silence. Doesn't that tell you something?"

Arthur twirled with his sword. "No one is unbeatable."

"If you fight him, you'll die," Lyanna stated clearly, her voice cranky from all the emotions inside her. Right now she didn't know how she was feeling, but she surely wasn't pleased. All that she wanted was for him to pull out.

"I'm not listening to this," Arthur declared.

"I'm trying to warn you, Arthur," Merlin tried once more, not wanting to give up.

Lyanna gasped in horror when Arthur turned around in one smooth motion and nearly hit his servant with his sword. "And I'm trying to warn YOU, Merlin!"

Both sorcerers looked at him in astonishment for a few seconds until Lyanna pulled the warlock away and stood before her brother. "I can understand that you're upset, but let me clarify something. If you ever harm Merlin, or even yell at him like you just did, you have me to answer to."

With those words the Lyanna exited the chambers as a single tear slid down her cheek. Her emotions were running overtime. She had stood up against her brother before, but never like this. She couldn't help but feel miserable about it. This wasn't what she wanted, but it had to be done. She couldn't let any harm come to him or his servant.

Merlin hastily pulled her behind a pillar in the corridors and pulled her close, cradling her against his chest. Her trembling fingers found and clutched the edges of his jacket as she let her tears roam freely. She could hear the beat of his heart, could feel the warmth radiating from him, could smell him. Every little thing she tried to lock into her mind. Merlin seemed to be doing the same. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in deeply.

"It's going to be alright," he assured her, breathing against her ear. "There is no need to cry. It will only ruin your lovely face."

Lyanna's head shot up at his words, narrowly missing his nose. She didn't know how to respond to that compliment he had just given her. "Thank you," she whispered. Her heart was pounding now.

He carefully cupped her face and rubbed the dried up tears away from her cheek. His cheeks were flushed and there were twinkles visible in his eyes. "We should look for another way to stop Tristian."

"Right," Lyanna muttered, breaking out of her trance. "Let's go then."

After a while of figuring out what that they could do, the two sorcerers found themselves wandering through the library, looking for valuable information. The hope of Lyanna was fading away with every book that she fluttered through. It seemed impossible to find a solution.

Merlin growled irritated when he accidentally knocked a book from the table and on to the ground. He kneeled to pick it up when Geoffrey suddenly stood beside them. "My Lady," he greeted, sounding a bit puzzled. "May I ask how you got in here?"

"The door was open," Merlin smartly retorted.

"No, I locked it."

"Well, someone else must've opened it."

Lyanna rolled with her eyes. "And you thought that the two of you could come in here and help yourselves?" Geoffrey asked.

"I'm sorry Geoffrey," she apologized. "We were looking for a book for Gaius. He thinks that the Black Knight is a wraith."

"Then Arthur is in grave peril."

"Which is why we're here," Merlin said, standing up with the book in his hands. "We need to find a weapon that will kill something that's already dead."

Geoffrey followed them to the table. "Well, I've read of such things in the ancient chronicles."

"Really?" Lyanna wondered, tilting her head to the side. "What did they say?"

"Well, several fables speak of ancient swords."

"That can kill the dead?" Merlin asked impatient.

The old man nodded. "The swords the fables speak of could destroy anything, alive or dead."

Lyanna and Merlin straightened themselves and briefly looked at each other. "Is it possible that you can show us one of these fables?" Lyanna asked hopefully. This may be the only way that they could save her brother. Whatever he said must be the answer.

"Well, let me think…" Geoffrey started hesitant. "Yes. Hmm." He searched a shelf which was covered in cobwebs.

"We're sort of in a hurry," Merlin pointed out.

Lyanna chuckled quietly. "Yes, you young people always are," he muttered.

"Don't mind him, Geoffrey," she came between them.

It had taken Geoffrey a little while to find the book that he was looking for. He thoroughly flipped through the book, hoping to find the right page. Merlin's head was burying in his arms, while Lyanna yawned uncontrollably beside him. "I wish that I was able to get some sleep," she muttered under her breath. She realized that she was half leaning on Merlin, but he didn't seem to notice.

His gaze lingered to her. "Something tells me that we won't sleep much tonight," he replied sadly, biting his bottom lip.

"This is the Chronicle of Beltain," Geoffrey said out loud, drawing the attention to him. "Now then.. Ah, here we are. 'Sir Maurhaus looked upon the great sword, begotten in the dragon's breath and fount it passing good."

"What did you say?" Merlin asked, his blue eyes widened.

"Sir Marhaus…"

"No, no, no, no. Not that bit. About the dragon," Lyanna wanted to know, skipping straight towards the point.

"The great sword begotten in the dragon's breathe…" Geoffrey read out loud. Both sorcerers clearly had the same idea as they both took off. "…and found it passing good."

As they walked out of the old tomes they started to think of an idea. "We need to go to Kilgharrah," Merlin said determined. "With his breath we might be able to stop the wraith."

Lyanna nodded in agreement as she tried to keep up with him. "Sounds like a great plan, but we need a sword first. Surely as princess I have access to all kinds of swords in the castle, but there is only one person who I can think of that may be able to help us."

"And who is that?" Merlin asked confused.

Instead of giving him an answer she knocked on the door of Morgana's chamber. It took only a few seconds until the door swung open and Gwen stood before them. "My Lady," she muttered surprised. "Are you alright? What are you two doing here?"

"We've come to ask you a favor Gwen," Lyanna started.

Gwen's gaze lingered to Merlin. "Ask me. You know I'd grant you anything. I mean, not anything. Obviously, not anything. What is it that you want?"

Lyanna noticed her nervous staring between them and couldn't help but feel slightly upset about it. It didn't make any sense to her. Why should it matter to her who liked Merlin. Gwen seemed like a nice match for him. "We've come to ask for a sword, Gwen," Lyanna said clearly, drawing the attention to her. "The strongest sword that your father has ever made."

"May I ask what it's for?" the maidservant asked

The princess nodded. "It's for Arthur. He's in danger and we need to save him."

Gwen's eyes darkened. "Alright," she finally said. "I shall see what I can do." Slowly, she closed the door again.

It hadn't taken the maidservant long until she had found the best sword her father had made inside her house. With the sword in their possession the two sorcerers made their way to the dungeon.

Lyanna was holding the torch while Merlin carried the sword in his hands. As they entered the cave they found Kilgharrah sitting on the large stone before them. "Well if it isn't my two favorite sorcerers."

"Do you know why we're here?" Merlin asked, straightening his back.

"It may surprise you, Merlin, but my knowledge of your lives is not universal."

"It has to do with Arthur," Lyanna started, lighting up her surroundings with the torch. "His life is in danger. He will die, unless we can make a weapon that will kill the death."

Merlin unwrapped the sword. "So what do you come to ask of me?" the Great Dragon wanted to know.

There fell a silence for a few seconds as the sword floated in front of Kilgharrah. "Will you burnish it, to save Arthur?" Lyanna asked desperately. This was their last way of saving her brother's life. If he would decline their offer Arthur would die.

The dragon hesitated. "The dead do not return without reason," he said puzzled. "Who has he come for?"

"My father," Lyanna said, swallowing loudly. Of course she knew that her father hadn't exactly made any friends in his life, but the thought a wraith wanted to kill him horrified her. She couldn't let him die.

"Then let him take his vengeance and the wraith will die without my aid."

Lyanna couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was surely the last thing that she expected from the dragon, even though she knew that it was Uther that had imprisoned the dragon in the dungeon.

"But it's Arthur who's going to fight him," Merlin said when he realized that Lyanna wasn't going to say anything. "You have to save him."

"That is your destiny, young sorcerers, not mine," Kilgharrah declared.

"But if Arthur fights the wraith and dies, Camelot will have no heir. We will have no destiny," the warlock replied, sounding exhausted.

"That is not entire true. If Arthur is to die there is another heir that can take its place," the Great Dragon corrected, eying Lyanna. "A weapon forged with my assistance will have great power." Lyanna's face went blank. She had no desire to become Queen of Camelot, nor to lose her brother. That wasn't the way to solve this matter.

"We know," Merlin answered.

He shook his head. "You do not know. You two can only guess. You have not seen what I have seen. If you had, perhaps you would not ask this of me."

"What do you mean?" Lyanna asked, lowering her torch. Her hands were trembling.

"In the wrong hands, this sword could do great evil. It must be wielded by Arthur and him alone."

"We understand," Merlin replied, simply nodding.

"You must do more than understand. You must promise," the Great Dragon insisted.

Lyanna took a step forward. "I, Lyanna Pendragon, promise that this sword shall be used by Arthur, and him alone."

Kilgharrah gratefully gave her a faint smile before he growled. Merlin pulled Lyanna into his arms as they took a few steps back, protecting her from the flames that were dancing around the sword. He held his arm before her face, making sure that none of the flames would touch her. Heat filled the cave, and Lyanna wasn't sure whether it was because her cheeks were burning or from the flames.

The Great Dragon closed his mouth and the flames disappeared. The golden sword glittered beautifully in the dim light, and both sorcerers couldn't only stare at it in awe. "It's beautiful," Lyanna gasped. It sure surpassed every other blade that she had ever seen in her life. It was a sword fit for a King.

Merlin slowly let go off her as he never stopped his staring. "Heed my words. The sword was forged for Arthur, and him alone," Kilgharrah helped them remember. The sword landed in Lyanna's hand who bowed gratefully before the dragon. He gave her a faint smile before she and Merlin exited the cave.

Lyanna spent the rest of the night in her bed. Sleep wouldn't come to her so she had decided to read something instead until her eyes eventually closed and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

"Lyanna, you must wake up." The young woman slowly opened one of her hazel eyes as she tried to adjust to the bright sunlight that was inside her chamber. Before her stood Merlin, a worried look in his eyes. She immediately sat up straight.

"What's wrong?" she asked, running her fingers through her blonde hair. The only reason why she had slept until this late was because she had been exhausted. "Tell me what's troubling you."

"Arthur isn't fighting Tristian," he said. Lyanna narrowed her eyes as she jumped out of bed. "Your father is."

"He what?" she snapped, abruptly turning around to face him. "Please tell me that you're lying to me and that this isn't the truth."

Merlin swallowed loudly. "I wish that I was. I was busy with preparing Arthur's armour this morning when the King came into the armoury. He asked questions about the sword that we had made." While Merlin spoke Lyanna dove behind the chamber fold and hastily changed into the armour from Camelot. Arthur had given her a pair for her to train in, and she wore it whenever it could. It wasn't as heavy as it looked, and made it easier for her to battle in. "Of course, I haven't told your father about its true meaning. He would hang us if he knew. He picked up the sword and planned to use it."

Within a minute the princess was completely dressed and her hair weaved into simple braid. She cursed inwardly as they hurried through the corridors of the castle. By the time the two of them reached the side entrance of the arena they saw Uther standing before Tristian. "You can have what you came for. The father, not the son," he said.

A thousand scenarios flashed through Lyanna's mind as she pondered about what she could possibly do to stop this and then she had it. "Ástríce," she chanted. Her eyes flashed silver for a brief second and Uther slammed backwards when the fight was about to begin. No one could've seen that it was magic that had caused it because Tristian had already swung with his sword.

Lyanna rushed into the arena and grabbed the sword and shield from her father's hands. She knew that the sword wasn't meant for her, but there was no other way that she could defeat the wraith. Two guards carried Uther out of the arena while Lyanna placed the helmet on top of her head. "You've made a terrible mistake by coming back from the dead," she said to him.

Within seconds the fight began and the sound of swords clashing echoed through the air. Lyanna was grateful that she had spent much time practicing sword fighting so that she was now able to block Tristian's blows. Maybe there was a chance that she could win this. Tristian's blows were strong and she averted them precisely in time.

She managed to knock off Tristian's helmet to reveal its mummified face. "Oh, you look revolting," Lyanna said in disgust, doing her absolute best to not look at his face.

That didn't seem to stop Tristian and Lyanna lost her sword. Tristian had her pinned on the ground and could finish the battle easily. His sword got stuck in her shield. Lyanna kicked the shield at the Black Knight, picked up the sword and ran him through. Tristian caught on fire and exploded into a thousand tiny pieces.

Everyone was silent for a couple of seconds, unsure about what they had just witnessed. Lyanna stood up and took off her helmet as the crowd cheered ecstatic. Uther stormed into the arena, his face showing a variation of emotions. She could tell that he was shocked and slightly upset about what had happened. He pulled her into a tight embrace which caused the crowd to cheer even louder.

"You had no right to do that," Uther stated as he slowly let go off her. "But I am grateful that you did."

"I had no other choice, Father," she enlightened him. "I feared for your life and knew I would rather risk my life than see you perish."

"Don't ever do something like that again," he said to her. "I know you're one of the most skilled fighters that Camelot has, but I want you to be safe. Don't risk your life for me, dear."

"I won't, Father," she replied gratefully. "Where is Arthur?"

"Gaius drugged him so that he would be fast asleep and I could take his place during the fight. He should've woken up by now," he told her.

She chuckled. "I will make sure that he's alright." She left the arena and headed towards the castle. When she entered the prince chambers she found Arthur standing in front of the window, looking furious.

"Please don't tell me that you're behind all this," Arthur said outraged as he turned towards her.

"I'm not behind this," she assured him quietly. "Our father was. Gaius had given you a potion to knock you out cold so that our father could take your place. But when he got knocked out quite swiftly during the match I took over his place and fought the knight myself. It wasn't my intention, but I couldn't let him kill father."

Arthur sighed. "Well, I'm glad that you saved him. I just need to have a word with our father."

She understood him completely. While Arthur headed towards the throne room Lyanna made her way towards her own chamber where she changed the armour for a comfortable grey dress. Once she was dressed she walked towards the physician chambers where Merlin was sitting at the table.

"I'm sorry," she apologized genuine when she placed the sword on the table. She was fidgeting with her own fingers and looked down at her shoes to avert his gaze. "It wasn't my intention to use to sword myself, but when I saw my father standing in front of Tristian I couldn't think of anything else that I could do to stop him. I couldn't let him kill my father. I'm sorry." Tears had escaped her eyes. She couldn't help but feel that she had betrayed his trust.

Merlin slowly looked up at her. "Look at me," he ordered placidly. She did as he asked and felt that familiar feeling inside of her when she met his gaze. It felt nice and comfortable. "I'm not angry at you. I understand why you did what did. I'm just worried what Kilgharrah is going to say if he finds out about this."

She sat down opposite from him while she continued to fidget with her fingers. It was a nervous habit that she had and couldn't get rid of. Merlin saw it as something that belonged to her and which he secretly adored. "I'll tell him," she suggested. "He cannot be angry at you because it's my fault. It only seems fair that I'll see him tonight."

Merlin didn't seem to agree with you. "That won't matter to him. We've betrayed his trust and he won't be thrilled about that. I will not let you face his wrath alone, so I will come with you. We'll go now."

Lyanna watched how he rose with widened eyes. Never had she met someone who was willing to do all these things like Merlin was doing for her. There were no words that she could say to thank him for it. She was speechless.

He extended his hand and she gently grabbed it. Merlin pulled her along with her through the corridors of the castle. Together they distracted the guards and snuck inside the passage that leaded them further down the castle. Lyanna lightened a torch and expose their way.

When they reached the cave they found Kilgharrah to be seated on a large rock in the middle. He looked up at them with curiosity written in his dark eyes. "So, does Arthur live?" he wanted to know.

Lyanna held scrupulously held her breath. "Yes," Merlin said instead. "The sword worked. It was incredible, amazing."

"As I promised," the Great Dragon reminded them.

"But," Lyanna started. Already the guilt inside her was growing. She couldn't keep quiet about this.

"Yes?" Kilgharrah asked.

"Things didn't go quite according to plan. I mean they did, except… It wasn't Arthur who wielded the sword. I did it," Lyanna admitted truthfully.

"No!" The dragon roared angrily in return. He flapped with its wings and Lyanna could feel the cold air moving.

"I didn't have another choice. My father had managed to knock my brother unconscious so that he could fight Tristian in his place. He had taken the sword. I couldn't let both of them die, so I used to spell to knock out my father so I could fight instead. It wasn't my intention at all, but I didn't know what else to do," Lyanna. Her voice was trembling and she was surprised to feel that Merlin was reassuringly squeezing into her hand. She had forgotten that they were still holding hands.

"The sword was born of the old magic. You have no idea of its power. In the hands of Uther, it will bring only evil!" Kilgharrah explained.

"But he didn't use it," Lyanna protested.

"We will get it back," Merlin insisted.

"You've betrayed me. You both aren't ready to be trusted," the dragon clarified hurt.

"I'll bring it to you. You can destroy it."

"What is made, cannot be unmade."

Lyanna exhaled deeply. "So, what do you want us to do?"

"Take the sword far from here and place it where no mortal man can ever find it."

On their way back to the armoury not a word was being sad. Both of them knew what had to happen and were kind of relieved that Kilgharrah let them get away with it so easily. "Where can we possibly hide a sword where no one can find it?" Merlin muttered as he looked at the sword in front of them.

Lyanna was silent for a while as she pondered hard for an answer. "Lake Avalon," she suddenly thought of. "No mortal man comes there."

"Do you expect that we can just throw it into the lake?" Merlin guessed.

"Sure, why not? I don't expect that any mortal man goes swimming there. The sword should be safe there."

That seemed to convince Merlin. "I will take the sword to Lake Avalon. You should stay here so we don't draw any suspicion."

Their gazes remained intensely locked for a moment. "Good luck," Lyanna whispered before she turned around and walked out of the armoury.

* * *

**AN: I wanted Lyanna to be the one to fight Tristian instead of her father or Arthur because she wanted to keep them both safe. The next chapter is the battle of Ealdor and It's going to be a good one *eyebrow wiggle***

**Bear with me! I'll see you next week. **

**Please review/follow or favorite**


	11. The Moment Of Truth

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Thanks everyone for the kind reviews and for the people who are following this story!

**A/N- **I'll respond to the reviews at the bottom because I don't want to spoil anything ;-) *wink wink*

**I guess this is the anticipated chapter? **

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter eleven: The moment of truth**

The princess stood in the middle of the forest, holding the reins of a rambunctious steed in her hands. The steed grew weary of standing still for so long, and Lyanna sympathized with the creature for she grew tired for this unknown person to show itself.

Her eyes were watching the forest around her as she white knuckled the leather reins of the horse in her slender hands. There was an air of uncertainty here that she did not approve of. In her unease she tightened one hand into her grey dress.

The steed pulled back against her hand, his whinnies becoming nervous as anxiety burned in his brown eyes. Sharply, the princess pulled on the reins and then soothed the horse with a gentle stroke of her hand. In the back of her mind, a thought stirred as she stroked the horse's soft muzzle.

The sound of boots walking over the ground drew Lyanna's attention at to see a woman stepping in the clearing. Her long ebony colored hair was weaved into a braid to the left side. Her clothes were stained with dirt, and slightly damaged. There were dark circles around her eyes, the sign that she had hit it hard.

"Is everything alright?" Lyanna asked gently, dismounting Lumiere.

The woman nodded, even though she could tell that wasn't the truth. "I'm fine."

Lyanna looked through the leather satchel that was attached to the saddle until she found some healing supplies. "Let me look after that for you," she kindly offered, motioning for the woman to sit down on a nearby boulder. "I don't remember seeing you here before."

"I'm not from here," she answered honestly as Lyanna started to rub some ointment on her sore skin, which immediately felt refreshed. "I came here to ask an audience with the King. I come from a small village. We barely have enough food as it is, and there is this barbarian who demands that we give our harvest to him. If we do our children surely won't survive. We need his help."

Lyanna straightened herself, meeting her gaze. She felt sorry for what had happened to her and knew that she needed to do something to help her. "I'm going to arrange that audience with the King for you. You have my word."

"Really?" she asked in astonishment. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, miss –"

"Lyanna," she filled in, putting the supplies back into the satchel. "There. This should heal in a short time."

The woman's sky blue eyes widened, and she couldn't help but feel as if she recognized those eyes from somewhere. "You're the princess," she stated in bewilderment. "I apologize for not noticing that before. My name is Hunith."

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows in confusion. That name sounded awfully familiar. There had only been one person who had mentioned that name before. "Do you happen to have son?"

Hunith nodded. "I do, Milady. He left Ealdor nearly a year ago to stay with the court physician in Camelot," she answered, smiling at the thought of him.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Does his name happen to be Merlin?" she guessed, trying to contain a grin.

"How do you know that, Milady?" the woman asked puzzled.

"Because I know your son," Lyanna said, standing up to fetch Lumiere. "He ended up as the servant of my brother. He is a loyal friend to me."

Slowly, Hunith stood up as well. "He's a servant?" Lyanna nodded. "How is he doing?" It astonished Lyanna that Merlin hadn't even written his mother a letter to inform her how he was doing here in Camelot.

Lumiere snorted when Lyanna grabbed his reins. "I believe that's something we can discuss while we walk to rest of the way to Camelot."

The woman smiled at her with gratitude as she followed the princess between the trees. During their walk to Camelot Lyanna told her what had happened ever since Merlin had stepped foot in the town. Since remembered Merlin telling her that his mother knew that he had magic, so she didn't think twice about telling this woman about hers as well. It was his mom, which meant that she could trust her as well.

Hunith decided not to ask any questions about the matter, probably saving them for another time. When they entered the lower town they found Merlin collecting water from the well. As he walked away he got aware of her presence. "Mom?" He placed the bucket on the ground as Hunith ran at him and pulled her son into a warm embrace. He noticed the bruises around her eyes, and slowly pulled back. "What happened? Who did this to you?" Merlin's gaze lingered to Lyanna who stood behind them. "How did you find her?"

"I found her in the woods," Lyanna answered honestly. "I looked after her injuries and she told me that a barbarian is terrorizing the village and that she's requiring an audience with the King. I promised that I would help her, and then I figured out that she was your mother. That's why I decided to take her to you."

"You are far too kind, My Lady," Hunith said gratefully, placing a kiss on her son's forehead.

Lyanna smiled faintly. "I'm just doing whatever anyone would do. If you will excuse me I'm going to arrange that audience with the King for you."

Before either of them could say anything Lyanna was already on her way to bring Faenaur back to the stables. Tyr took over the reins and told her that he would look after him. It hadn't taken much time until Lyanna had arranged an audience with her father and Huntih was standing before the court. The princess was standing beside Morgana and her brother, while she saw Merlin standing behind Gaius.

"The winters are harsh in Ealdor, and there are many children. Some of them just won't be strong enough to survive. We barely have enough food as it is, and if Kanen takes our harvest, our children won't live to see another summer. Please, we need your help," Hunith explained desperately.

"Ealdor is in Cendred's kingdom. Your safety is his responsibility," Uther responded, leaning with his head on his hand.

"We've appealed to our King, but he cares little for the outlying regions. You're our only hope," she pleaded.

There fell a short silence until the King straightened himself. "I have the deepest sympathy for you and would have this barbarian wiped off the face of the earth."

"You'll help us?"

"I wish I could."

"Surely we can spare a few men?" Arthur suggested, thinking the same thing as his sister did.

Uther sat back again. "Resources are not the problem."

"Then what is?" Lyanna wanted to know. She couldn't understand why he was being so difficult. "There must be something that we can do. These people need help. Our help."

"Ealdor lies beyond the Ridge of Essetir. For an army of Camelot to enter it would be an act of war."

Hunith dropped to her knees. "I know you're a good King, a caring man. I'm begging you, help us, please." Lyanna could tell how desperate the woman was since she was begging him like that.

"The accord we've struck with Cendred was years in the making. I cannot risk hundreds of lives for the sake of one village," Uther replied, his face blank. "I'm afraid Camelot cannot help."

Lyanna watched with disbelieve how Morgana escorted Hunith out of the council room. She had imagined that her father would've willing to risk the life of his own men to save others. Surely she should've known better. There wasn't a man more stubborn than him in Camelot.

That afternoon she was pacing through her chambers thinking of a way that she could help out, when there came a knock on the door. The door swung open and Merlin stood in the doorway. "I wish that I'd been able to change my father's mind," she started, feeling more like a failure.

"You did everything that you could," he said as he entered her chambers. "I'm mostly grateful for everything that you've done for my mother."

Lyanna smiled faintly. "I merely did what everyone would do," she responded humbly. "I don't need any credit for that. All I want to do is help out."

He fidgeted nervously with the edges of his jacket. "I'm going back to Ealdor."

Her heart skipped when she met his eyes. "Of course you are. Your mother needs all the help that she can get." She understood why he had to do it, but couldn't help but feel upset about it. She wondered how long he would be gone.

"It's been an honor to have been your friend."

Confusion was written on her face as she knitted her eyebrows. "What do you mean? Aren't you coming back?"

Merlin shrugged melancholic. "Well, she is my mother. I have got to look after her before else anyone else. You do understand that?"

Her throat became dry. One of the people she cared about most here in Camelot would be leaving her and wouldn't return. That was a painful thought, and she wanted it to be a lie. "Sure I do," she croaked. "I would've done the same thing if my mother was still alive. What did Arthur say about your departure?"

"That I've been the worst servant he has ever had," he joked softly.

She joined his laughter. "I didn't expect anything else from him. Well, I'm not agreeing with him." In one smooth motion she wrapped her arms around his neck and felt ho he hugged her closer to him. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. Her voice came out muffled, but he understood what she said. "Do you comprehend how much I'm going to miss you? No one else here understands me as you do."

"I know you well enough that you will be the one who will miss me most," he chuckled. That was the truth. From all the people he have come to know in Camelot she was the one who cared most about him.

"I do," she agreed with him. Slowly he pulled back and looked directly into her piercing eyes which were filled with sadness. His departing was truly affecting her. Tenderly he caressed her cheek and she smiled faintly. "Not many people are aware of what you've done for Camelot, but I do. And I want you to know that I'm incredibly proud of you. There is no one braver."

He let his instincts take over and surprised her by placing a light kiss on her forehead, something which he hadn't done before. The skin underneath his lips felt like fire, only making their goodbye even harder. "I'm just as proud of you, and I will remember," Merlin assured her.

Tears were now filling her eyes, and it cost Lyanna some effort to hold them in. She didn't want to be seen crying in front of Merlin. Not now. "Will you ever come back to me?" she asked. Her voice was cranky from the uncontrolled emotions inside of her. Never before had she felt like this about anyone. She knew what it was to have a friend, but what she had with Merlin felt much closer than that. Lyanna wondered what all those feelings meant.

"I'm sure that fate will let us cross paths in the future again," Merlin replied certain, given her some hope to hold onto.

Before Lyanna could say anything he had already left her chambers. She could only stare how he exited the chamber. When the door fell shut she felt lonelier than she had ever done before. She had been so used to being alone all her life that she put up a wall to protect herself. And only a few people had managed to knock her wall down, especially Merlin. He was the one that she trusted with all her heart. She knew that she had to do something to help him.

The rest of the day went by rather slowly. While Merlin prepared his belongings for the upcoming journey, Lyanna spent the rest of the day wondering what she could possibly do to help out.

It was around dawn the next morning when Lyanna entered the chambers of her brother and found him still asleep in his bed. She grinned with mischief before she pulled open the curtain to let the light in and started to jump on his bed. "Arthur, wake up!" she said with a cheerful voice. Her brother had never been much of a morning person and she often teased him about it. It only made it more entertaining for to wake in such manner.

"Lyanna, stop it," Arthur cried in protest, as he bounced up and down because of her jumping.

She had no intention of stopping and he realized that, so he managed to pull her down onto his bed. They both laughed heartily, their sides hurting from it. They hadn't laughed together like that in a while. Their bond as siblings was strong and growing still, and they were both willing to give up their lives to save another.

"Why did you wake me up this early?" he asked once he was sitting up straight.

"Because I came here to ask you something," she said, coming straight to the point. "I found out that both Morgana and Guinevere have joined Merlin to Ealdor. If our father finds out that his ward has left he's going to be furious."

Arthur sighed as he met her gaze. "What do you want to do about it?"

"There is only one thing that we can do. We must go to Ealdor."

"No," Arthur objected, climbing out of his bed. "If father knows that we're missing he will send out a search party to drag us back to Camelot."

She rolled with her eyes. "There is nothing else that we can do. They need our help. Can you live with yourself if anything happens to Merlin?" She knew that her words had effect on him when his eyes darkened.

Arthur looked at her thoroughly. "You care about, Merlin. Do you not?" he asked.

Lyanna swallowed loudly and smiled nervously. "Sure, I do. He's a good friend."

That didn't seem to fully convince Arthur. "Are you sure that's all that he is?" The prince was smirking content now, clearly enjoying that he had discovered his sister's weakness and maybe that of his servant.

She slapped him on the back of the head. "Don't be so foolish. I agree with Merlin when he says you're a prat."

Arthur painfully rubbed the back of his head, pretending to be badly hurt. Eventually he gave up when Lyanna continued to stare at him. "Alright," he gave in. "We will help them. We will leave within the hour. Not a word of this to anyone. If father finds out about this he'll throw us both in the dungeon. Gather your supplies and meet me at the stables.

By the time Lyanna stood in the stables it was still early in the morning. She was clothed in armour, with a warm grey vest over it. She had weaved her hair into a braid. Her supplies were put into the saddlebags so that she wouldn't have to carry anything.

"Did you get everything?" At the sound of a familiar voice Lyanna turned around to see Arthur standing behind him. He was wearing his chainmail, without the red cloak of Camelot. It was clear that he didn't want to draw much attention during their trip, and a cloak surely wouldn't help them.

She nodded. "I did. I even packed some healing supplies just in case."

"That's very wise," he said as he grabbed his brown steed.

Within minutes the two siblings rode through the gate of Camelot, leaving the town behind them. They had informed their father that they would be going on a hunting trip in case he would find out the true reason of their absence.

Nearly the entire day they rode through the forest. Lyanna would sometime use her magic to see the path that the others had taken, and realized that they weren't that far ahead. A few times she used her magic to see the path ahead. Unfortunately she couldn't inform Arthur about that, so he was becoming rather suspicious about that.

"How is it possible that you know the way to Ealdor when you've never been there?" Arthur wondered when his sister had once again leaded them in the right direction.

"I've studied the maps a lot," she lied with a smirk. "Everyone knows that Ealdor lies east from Camelot. It's not that difficult to find." Arthur believed her word and didn't ask anything else about it. She couldn't tell him that she was relying on her magic to tell her the way.

It was a few hours after nightfall when the two siblings were getting closer to their destination. The path was clear inside the witch's mind, giving her some hope. Which was a nice feeling compared to the doubt she had also felt.

"We're here," she announced, dismounting Lumiere. "I can smell the campfire. We're close." She had to make sure that Arthur wouldn't get suspicious again.

He dismounted his own horse and unsheathed his sword as they made their way towards the camp. Her body tensed when she saw Merlin walking through a clearing with a sword clutched in his hands. Arthur put the sword against his servant's back. "I'd ask you for money, but I now you don't have any."

"Arthur! Merlin cried happily. He whipped around in one smooth motion. Arthur managed to duck as the sword swung near his head.

"Put the sword down, Merlin. You look ridiculous," Arthur complained as he walked passed his servant.

As Merlin watched how he walked off she stepped into the clearing. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she called his name and was laughing amusingly. "Lyanna!" he exclaimed happily. "What are you two doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked with a smirk. "We've come here to help. I managed to persuade Arthur this morning, so here we are."

The two of them made their way towards the camp where they found everyone asleep on the ground. While Arthur tied the horses to a tree Merlin stoked a new campfire. The two siblings sat down beside it, lost in their thoughts.

"How much further is it?" Lyanna eventually asked, breaking the silence.

Merlin rubbed his hands together in the hope to get them warm. "Er, maybe a few hours."

"How many men does Kanen have?" Arthur wondered.

"Erm, I'm not sure. I think, from what my mother said, maybe as many as forty."

Arthur paused. "You should get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Merlin fidgeted with his fingers. "Thank you," he said, eying the siblings. "I know that you both didn't have to come."

The prince stood up, gathering his supplies. "Get some sleep."

Both sorcerers watched how he walked away, and lay down near Morgana on the other side of the camp. After a long moment of silence they heard his steady breathing, the sign that he had fallen asleep.

"You should get some sleep as well," Merlin eventually said.

Lyanna broke out of her thoughts, meeting his gaze. "You're right, but I'm not sure if sleep will come to me." She leaned with her head on her hand as she stared at the flames that danced before her eyes.

He slowly shifted towards her. "Is there something that I can help you with?"

"No, I'm good," she answered. She was just worried about what could happen when they would reach Ealdor tomorrow, but she didn't want to bother him with it. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad," he quickly replied. Lyanna knew that wasn't exactly true.

She also shifted closer to him and their bodies were pressed together. "There is no need to lie to me, Merlin. I can sense that you're worried, which is completely logical," she replied with a faint smile. "But you're not alone in this. Your friends are here to help you out."

That seemed to reassure him. "I can always count on you," he said gratefully.

"That's what friends are for," she reminded him. The sudden evening chill set into her skin. She stood up. "Let's get some sleep."

That night she lay down beside her brother and only slept a couple of hours until the first sunrays woke up her. As she was busy with redoing her braid Morgana and Gwen got aware of her presence. "Lyanna," they said in union, pulling the princess into an embrace.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me to see you here," Morgana supplied cheerfully.

"Same here. I had no idea that you would be coming here as well," Gwen added in the same manner.

Lyanna pulled back. "Neither did I. I couldn't sit back and do nothing so I decided to change Arthur's mind into coming," she explained.

"Well I'm glad that you did," Morgana said happily, giving her friend another warm smile.

After everyone had eaten some breakfast they rode for a couple of hours until the small village of Ealdor came into view. As they entered the small village they noticed a man raising his axe to hit a man for a final blow.

Without thinking Lyanna threw a sword into the post behind the man, which she assumed was Kanen. Together with Arthur she rode up, dismounted their horses and started to fight the bandits.

"Kill them!" Kanen ordered loudly.

The bandits were slow, and not exactly the best opponents Lyanna has ever battled. Since she was short she could easily avert their blows, and sliced her sword through their stomachs.

In the corner of her eyes she saw a bandit attacking her brother from behind, but Morgana parried and killed him. "Does did bring back memories of when I used to beat you?" Morgana asked teasingly.

"That never happened," Arthur protested as she walked passed him.

As they look around Kanen mounted his horse. "You'll pay for this with your lives! All of you!" he threatened before he rode away with his men.

Silence found its way to the village. Lyanna stood beside Morgana and Gwen when Arthur called for his servant. "Merlin! Gather the villagers, I need to talk to them."

Before Merlin stood a boy from the same age as he was. The two of them obviously knew one another. "Yeah, in a minute. I'm just talking…"

"Now, Merlin. There isn't much time," Arthur said impatiently.

Within minutes Merlin had gathered all the villagers of Ealdor around them. Arthur started to address them. "I know Kanen's kind. He'll be back. And when he is, you must be ready for him. First of all, we have to prepare for…"

"Am I the only one who wondering who the hell this is?" the same boy Merlin was just talking to a few minutes ago, interrupted as he pushed himself through the crowd.

"I'm Prince Arthur of Camelot. This here is my sister, Lyanna," he introduced them, gesturing towards her.

The boy scoffed. "Yeah, and, er, I'm Prince William of Ealdor."

"Keep quiet," Hunith interfered. "They are here to help us."

"But they made things worse," Will protested. "Kanen will be back, and when he is, he''ll be looking for revenge. You've just signed our death warrant."

"They've saved Matthew's life!"

"It's alright, Hunith," Lyanna came between them, her voice placidly. "I understand that we must look like intruders to you. This is his village. Tell us what you would have us do." If battling wasn't going to solve their problem she wanted to know what his solution was to help.

Everyone was now looking at him. "We can't fight against Kanen. He has too many men."

"So what's the alternative?" Arthur wanted to know.

He slightly shrugged with his shoulders. "Give him what he wants."

The villages shook their heads in protest. "Then what? Those of you who don't starve to death will face him against next harvest! And the harvest after that."

"We'll manage. We'll survive."

The villagers wondered how. "The only way he can be stopped is if you stand up to him," Lyanna told them, crossing her arms. She had seen men like Kanen before. Iif they didn't stop him that man would taunt these villagers for many years to come. "I'm afraid here is no other way."

"No," Will objected. "You two just want the honor and glory of battle. That's what drives men like you!" He ranted, eying the prince. "Look, if you want to fight, then go home and risk the lives of your own people, not ours!"

"Will," Merlin called after him as the boy walked off.

"I'll follow you," Hunith said determined. "If I'm to die, then I want to go out fighting."

"That goes for me, too," Matthew replied. More villagers started to agree with them. They all wanted to fight for what they loved. Their will to fight was strong and that was something they needed if they wanted to defeat Kanen and his men. Lyanna sure hoped that it was enough.

That night Lyanna was lying on the ground beside her brother. For a little while she had been trying to fall asleep, but sleep wouldn't get to her. "Have you always slept on the floor?" Arthur suddenly asked. Lyanna wondered if he was talking to her.

"Yeah," Merlin muttered. "The bed I've got in Camelot is luxury by comparison."

"Must've been hard."

"Hmm. It's like rock."

"I didn't mean the ground. I meant, for you. It must've been difficult," Arthur explained.

Merlin paused. "Hmm. Not really. I didn't know any different. Life is simple out here. You eat what you grow and everyone pitches in together. As long as you've got food on the table and a roof over your head, you're happy."

Lyanna didn't exactly share the same childhood as Merlin had, and was surrounded by much wealth. But that wasn't what she desired. She didn't require riches to be happy. All she longed for was to be accepted who she truly was.

"Sounds… nice," Arthur muttered slowly.

The warlock chuckled quietly. "You'd hate it."

"No doubt," the prince agreed. "Why did you leave?"

"Things just... changed."

"How?" When Merlin didn't immediately answer he shoved his foot in his servant face. "Come on. I'm pretending to be interested. Tell me."

Merlin pushed the foot away. "I just didn't fit in anymore. I wanted to find somewhere that I did."

"Had any luck?"

The warlock sighed. "I'm not sure yet."

"I believe that you did," Arthur said determined. "You've found some great friends since you came to Camelot. For example I know that my sister value's your friendship and she –"

"Arthur," Lyanna called out loud, stomping her brother in his side. "I'm wide awake, and I've heard everything you said. I do believe that I can speak for myself."

He laughed cheerfully in return. "Well, are you going to tell me that I was lying?"

She knew that he was enjoying himself, and she didn't want him to. "No, I'm not denying that. Merlin is already well aware that I value our friendship. Can I get some sleep now?" she muttered from underneath the cover.

"Yes. We'll start training the men tomorrow. It's going to be a long day," Arthur said, pulling the cover over his. "Get the candle." It took a few seconds for Merlin to blow the candle out and the room went completely dark.

When the first sunrays entered the crowded bedroom Lyanna was the first to wake up. She quickly braided her blonde hair and exited the chamber only to find Hunith already working in the small kitchen. "Good morning," Lyanna greeted, giving the woman a warm smile. "Do you need some help?"

Hunith looked up from the fireplace, her eyes widened until she saw who it was. "Oh. Good morning, dear. I didn't see you there. Actually I just finished with making some porridge. Do you mind helping me with putting everything on the table?"

Lyanna nodded and started to assist the woman who she already cared a great deal about. She could tell that Merlin possessed the same kindness as his mother. She had often wondered what it was like to have a mother, but now she finally understood it a bit. It was a nice thing, even though Hunith wasn't her mother.

"I was wondering why you decided to come to Ealdor," Hunith suddenly said.

"Because, no matter what my father said, I wanted to help. We all did," Lyanna replied as she placed some plates on the table.

"I can tell that there is something else going on. You care a great deal about my son, don't you?" Lyanna's body froze and she looked at the woman in utter shock. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But it wasn't hard to guess by the way the two of you look at each other. Is something going on between the two of you?"

Lyanna listened sharply to their surroundings and could tell that everyone else in this house was still fast asleep. She took in a deep breath. "I do care greatly about your son. He's just a good friend. But that's all that he will be. My father would have him hanged if he would find out."

Hunith closed the distance between them and grabbed the princess hands and squeezed them gently. It was something that Merlin always did to cheer her up as well, and apparently a family trait. "I'm glad that he has you. He hasn't shut up about you since he came here," Hunith said and wrapped Lyanna into a brief hug, which she returned.

"I'm also very glad to have him on my side," Lyanna replied gratefully as she slowly let go off the woman. It felt odd to talk about these matters with someone she barely knew, but she trusted Hunith. Besides she didn't share some critical information. Everyone in Camelot was aware of the friendship between the princess and her brother's manservant and she didn't mind. There was no need to hide it.

By the time they were finished with preparing breakfast everyone entered the kitchen. They all seated around the table where they ate their breakfast. Hunith chatted peacefully with them as she sat down beside her son. Lyanna noticed that Arthur was playing with his food, as he averted everyone's gaze.

"Is everything alright, Arthur?" Lyanna asked playfully.

He looked up from his bowl of porridge. "Yes," he quickly answered. "I'm alright." Of course his sister knew what was troubling. He didn't like the food that Hunith had made for him, and was doing his best not to eat it.

Once breakfast was finished Merlin helped Arthur putting his jacket on. "You still not learned how to dress yourself?" Morgana asked teasingly, with a smirk.

"You don't have a dog and fetch the stick yourself," Arthur explained. "No offense, Merlin."

"None taken," his servant muttered as he continued to help him.

Lyanna rolled with her eyes. "You really are unbelievable, brother. I would seriously refuse to help him."

"Prince Arthur," Hunith said as she walked towards him with his bowl of porridge in her hands. "You didn't finish your breakfast."

"Didn't I?" Arthur asked, obviously playing surprised.

"Well go one. Eat up," Lyanna said, enjoying herself. "It's rude not to eat something which has cost someone a lot of effort to make." She hoped to make him feel guilty.

As Hunith walked away he pretended to eat it. "Hmmmm." He quickly handed the bowl to Gwen, who looked around confused. "Right. Let's get going. We need wood, and lots of it." With those words he stormed off, followed by Morgana and Lyanna.

As they entered the small field where the villagers had gathered to practice Gwen and Morgana walked to the side where they would sharpen the weapons for the upcoming battle. Lyanna was about to follow them when Arthur gently grabbed her by the wrist. "I'll need your help with training the villagers."

She raised one eyebrow and her mouth fell slightly agape. "My help? But I'm not a knight and –"

"Nonsense," Arthur friendly objected. "We all know you're the finest swordsman in Camelot after me. Your knowledge about fighting will come in handy during the training."

Lyanna didn't know what to say. She felt flattered and surprised. She grinned happily at her brother. "I will not let you down," she assured him.

That satisfied him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they made their way towards the cowering villagers. Even she was almost able to smell their fear. They didn't know what was going to come next. She pitied them.

The villages stood in a line and the two siblings started to pace passed them. "We won't be able to teach you everything there is to know about fighting with a sword, but you can learn the basics; the stance, how to parry a blow, how to land on your own," Lyanna informed them.

"On my count! One! Two! Three! Four!" Arthur ordered them as they continued to observed their moves. Of course compared to the battle techniques of the Knights of Camelot this was rubbish. But it was all that they had.

A dangly boy from around the same age as they were, was having some troubles with the smoothness of his blow. "It's very important to watch your feet. The footwork is the most important thing about fighting. Watch." She showed him how to probably place your feet in a battle.

He nodded understandingly. "Thank you, My Lady."

Whenever someone was slacking they would step in. "Now, you may have to watch for the feint. So, keep your feet moving, and only stay in range long enough to land again," she would advise them. "And again!"

After a while of observing Arthur made his way over to Matthew. "I want you to organize sentry duty to keep an eye out for Kanen and his men."

"Be glad to," Matthew said gratefully. He was having the most trouble with handling a sword and this was the best solution for everyone.

"If there's any sign of attack, I want you to ride straight back here. I don't want you fighting them all on your own." Matthew scoffed and nodded before he walked away.

"Did you just give him sentry duty because he's a disaster with a sword?" Lyanna guessed as she stood beside her brother. She smirked slightly.

Arthur scrunched his nose. "What gave it away? It's safer for all of us if he's out there."

Lyanna laughed quietly as the two of them made their way over to the well to gather some water after observing for a few hours. She grabbed a bucket out of the well and handed a bowl of water to her brother. As they rested she noticed that the villagers were following their example. She couldn't help but feel hopeless. These men weren't born to fight, and they expressed that in everything that they did.

The King's ward walked towards them followed by her servant. "It looks like the battle's already fought and lost," Morgana said sadly, standing before them.

"They'll toughen up," Arthur answered hopefully. "How are we doing for weapons?"

"There isn't much, but we should able to scrape together what we need," the King's ward informed them.

"It's not the weapons that worry us," Gwen interfered, daring to speak up. "It's having enough people to use them. We think the woman should be allowed to fight."

They were silent for a brief moment. "Arthur, she's right," Lyanna eventually said. "We don't have enough men. If they were trained soldiers, maybe we would stand a chance, but they're not. You need to let us fight."

Arthur threw his bowl back into the bucket. "It's too dangerous." He walked towards the resting men and gave them the order to continue the practice.

Lyanna met the gazes of her friends. "I'm sorry that he's so stubborn," she apologized. She wished that he would see reason. If they didn't fight they surely wouldn't stand a chance. They needed every help that they could get. She had to make sure that he would change his mind.

"Why do you think he came here?" Gwen wondered, crossing her arms.

"The same reason we all did: Merlin. Arthur may act like he doesn't care, but he wouldn't be here if he wouldn't," Morgana answered. She knew that she was right. Her brother cared for his servant, only he would never admit it.

The following morning Lyanna was walking through the small town together with Merlin. It was still early, and the sun was setting. Most villagers were still asleep which gave him a perfect opportunity to show her more of Ealdor. "I'm sorry that you had to go back to Ealdor for something terrible as this," the princess said as they walked through a meadow.

He looked ahead of them. "I had always imaged that I would come back on day when I would be a successful sorcerer, so that my mother would be proud of me."

A smile touched her lips. "I'm sure that your mother is already very proud of you. I can tell it from the way that she looks at you. She's happy as long as you are." He was silent for a moment, enjoying the comfortable silence between them. "And are you happy? Besides everything that's going on right now that is."

"Well, I can say that Camelot is the first place that I've ever felt at home," he admitted, guiding her into another meadow. "The only friend that I had here in Ealdor was Will."

Lyanna met his gaze as she followed him. "I'm glad that you've found a place you can call home. It sure is completely different than this small town, but I can see that Ealdor has it charms. In fact sometimes I wish that I would live in a town like this, far away from all the drama that's my life recently."

He stopped walking while he didn't stop looking at her. "Why? You have everything in Camelot."

She scoffed. "Sure, Camelot has it charms. It truly is a place where dreams come true, but it also has it downsides. I can't blame the town for that. It's just the constant fear of someone discovering the truth about me, and what can happen afterwards. I don't want to think about that."

For a brief moment he stared ahead of them at the mountains, until his sky blue eyes peered into hers again. A smile touched his lips. "I hope that one day we don't have to be afraid anymore and the hiding is done. We can be who we are and people will accept us for it."

Of course she had often imagined that her life would be different when her brother would become the King of Camelot. His vision surely would be different than that of her father, which meant that changes would come to the Kingdom.

"I hope so too," she quietly answered.

They stood still underneath an oak tree while bright sunshine shone between the branches. Their gazes locked and Merlin slowly lifted his hand and gently brushed it against her cheek. He let his desire and affection take over as he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Their magic swirled around them like a blizzard, trapping them like a bubble. It was something that neither one of them had ever felt before.

The kiss was brief, but sweet. Merlin pulled away a few inches from Lyanna's face and looked into her eyes. She was completely caught off guard by the kiss, but had loved every second of it. Their gaze remained intensely locked, but she soon took the opportunity to pull him back in for another kiss. Her hands cupped his face as their lips mingled in sync with one another. It was nothing deep or intense, just enough to let each other know that they cared for another. After a few moments, they finally pulled away. Lyanna smiled sweetly up at him as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Wow," Lyanna finally managed to say. "That was perfect."

"My thoughts exactly."

Neither one of them had kissed before, but they knew that nothing could top this. He smiled back down at her and lightly kissed her lips once more. He brought his hands up to gently caress her face, loving the feeling of her soft skin. Because Lyanna wasn't looking around her she didn't notice a root of a tree that lay before her, and tripped over it. She and Merlin fell and together the two sorcerers rolled down the hill of the meadow. They landed at the edge of the hill, with Merlin lying on top of her. She was able to feel the warm breath of his lips on hers, sending shivers through her spine. Their gazes were locked, neither one of them refused to look away. She felt the heat of his body pressed against hers. For a moment Lyanna believed that he would continue their kiss, but he didn't.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked, trying to find her breath. "I didn't watch where I was going."

Merlin stood up, helping her back onto her feet. "It's alright," he mumbled.

Merlin could only stare at her with big eyes, his cheeks flushed crimson. Since a few months he couldn't help but feel slightly nervous around her, but he still didn't understand why that was. It felt as if something was pulling her towards him. Perhaps it was because the daughter of the King was the only person who saw him for she truly was, and not just as a boy with magic. She saw him and he saw her. It had to be the only explanation.

Lyanna bit her bottom lip as her cheeks continued to burn. I cannot believe that I've just kissed Merlin! She thought, but wondered what it had meant. Do I like him now? She had never thought about him in such a manner she had only seen him as a dear friend. Perhaps that was what he would always be. He was a servant after all. This has only been a mistake.

When they heard a scream of a woman coming from the center of the town they were both brought back to reality. They ran towards the sound as fast as they could and found Matthew slung over a horse, with an arrow sticking in his back.

Together with one of the villagers Lyanna lifted Matthew off the horse and placed him on the ground. The princess felt as if her body was thrown into a lake of ice water. They had sent Matthew to look ahead for Kanen's men. She felt responsible for his dead. She knelt down beside Matthew and grabbed the note that was on the arrow in his back. "Make the most of this day, it will be your last," she read out loud.

"Matthew!" His fiancé came storming through the crowd that had gathered and kneeled down beside his body while repeatedly shouted 'No!' Lyanna leaped onto her feet, giving the woman some space so that she could mourn. She couldn't imagine what she must've been feeling.

As the woman cried for her fiancé Will made his way through the crowd as well. "You two did this! Look what you've done! You killed him!"

Lyanna blinked through her tears, not trying to show anyone how much this was affecting her. "This wasn't their fault!" Merlin objected heavily.

"If they hadn't been strutting around, treating us like their own personal army, this would never have happened," Will continued, his rage clearly hearable.

Arthur pointed at the villagers. "These men are brave enough to fight for what they believe in, even if you aren't!"

"You're sending them to their graves! You killed one man. How many more need to die before you realize this is a battle that can't be won? When Kanen comes, you haven't got a chance. You're going to be slaughtered." The words of Will were weighing heavily in the siblings minds. Both of them knew that there was only a small chance that they would be able to win this battle. But was it enough?

The sun was shining brightly that day, shedding its brilliance across Cendred's Kingdom, the forest of Ascetir, and Ealdor. The trees sang happily while the wind tossed their green manes about. Little cloud coverage meant that day was going to warm, at least for autumn.

At all it was a most agreeable day, but Lyanna couldn't help but feel restless. The words of Will kept repeating themselves over and over again in her mind, and she knew that the boy was right. They wouldn't stand a chance against Kanen's men.

It was after noon when the princess had decided to go for a ride with Lumiere to clear her head. For a few hours she had ridden through the nearby forest, feeling the chill wind blowing through her long hair. When she had returned to small village she found Arthur sitting on a wooden bench outside of Hunith's house with his servant. They were discussing something as she halted Lumiere, and dismounted her horse.

"No, we're going to stay. We're going to fight, and we're going to win," Merlin tried to convince him.

"Merlin, it can't be done. The odds are too great," Arthur replied grimly.

Since Lyanna was standing on the other side of the house neither one of them was aware of her presence, and they continued their conversation. "It can," the warlock stated. "We're going to make Kanen rue the day he ever came to this village. All you need to do is get the men ready for battle, and the rest will take care of itself."

"How?"

"You've got to believe in them," Merlin responded hopefully. "Because if you don't, they'll sense it and the battle will be lost before it has even begun." Arthur looked ahead of him for a moment and then stood up to enter the house, obviously thinking about the words of his servant.

"You sure gave him some hope," Lyanna said out loud, causing the sorcerer to flinch. "Sorry, it wasn't my intention to startle you. I just came back from a ride and I overheard what you said. Do you honestly believe that we stand a chance against Kanen?" Merlin met her gaze, but kept quiet. "You're planning to use magic, aren't you?" she suddenly asked, figuring out his plan. "Are you serious? If Arthur finds out about this you're going to be in big trouble. I cannot tell what he's going to do to you, but I can guarantee that he's not going to be too pleased."

He fidgeted with his fingers. "I don't know what else to do. It is the only way that I can save these people," he sulked sadly. "If he doesn't accept me for who I really am then he's not the friend I hoped he was."

"You can't say that," Lyanna snapped, walking towards him. "During his childhood Arthur has only witnessed the evil of sorcery. He's not aware that the reason people use magic for bad things is because they have evil in their hearts. He is yet to meet the good of it. I know that you want to tell him, Merlin, I want to as well, but you can't. You'll be making a terrible mistake if you did."

When he didn't respond but continued to sulk Lyanna let go off Lumiere and wrapped her friend into a tight embrace. Obviously she got him by surprise because his entire body tensed, but he slowly called down and wrapped his arms around her waist. She buried her head into his chest as she felt him push her closer against him.

"I wish that I was able to solve this," she quietly whispered, tracing circles with her index fingers across his muscular chest. "I'm on your side. I want this just as badly as you do, but we can't. We can only fight and hope that's enough."

His fingers ran through her golden hair. "I know," he quietly responded. Neither one of them said anything after that. They stood there in each other's arms for an unknown while, enjoying each other's company. Neither one of them dared to talk about the kiss that had happened the other day. They thought that it had been just a spur of the moment. They were good friends after all.

Eventually when Gwen gave the sign for dinner they broke apart and hastily made their way into the small house where everyone was waiting for them. Lyanna did her best to hide her flushed cheeks.

Dinner went by quietly, most of them were lost in their own thoughts. After dinner the villagers had gathered in the common building together with their guests. Lyanna was standing beside her brother who was about to speak to the villagers. "Tomorrow morning, the woman and children should gather what belongings they can carry and go to the woods," he informed them, pacing.

"We're not going anywhere, Arthur," Lyanna said determined. She had thought about this all afternoon. The best chance they had of winning was as if the woman would fight with them.

He faced his sister. "I know that you want to help. The women can't stay here. It's too dangerous. I leave their care in your command."

The princess indifferently crossed her arms. "I honestly don't think so. The women have as much right to fight for their lives as the men do! Why should they flee?"

"But none of you know how to fight."

"The more of us there are, the better chance we stand!" Gwen replied. As Lyanna eyed her servant the women in the room all took a step forwards, showing how eager they wanted to fight for their homes. This was the first time that Gwen had stood up against Arthur like that, and Lyanna admired her greatly for it.

Arthur realized that he didn't stand a chance to change their minds. "This is your home. If you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice. I'd be honored to stand alongside you. Kanen attacks tomorrow. Kanen is brutal. He fights only to kill, which is why he will never defeat us. Look around. In this circle, we're all equal. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to, you're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes. You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace. And if you fall, and you fall fighting for the noblest of causes: you fall fighting for your very right to survive! And when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day, and you'll know you earned the right to live right to live every day in between! So you fight! For your family! For your friendship! For Ealdor!"

As the prince finished with his speech everyone was filled with hope and they all stood up with their swords raised. "For Ealdor! For Ealdor!"

Lyanna could only look with pride at her brother for the way he had spoken to all these villagers. He had replaced their fear with hope, which had been a big task. Only people they believed in should be able to do such a thing. She knew that he was going to be a wonderful King one day, when he was ready for it.

The following morning Lyanna had woken up before dawn. A pit of anxiety had grown inside her stomach which had made it impossible for her to gather some sleep. She had gone on a walk through the village, and silent had made her feel uncomfortable. As she returned to Hunith's house she found Morgana standing before the mirror in the small guest room with Gwen.

"Ah, My Lady," her servant greeted, sounding relieved. "I was already wondering where you went, so I assumed that you went for a walk."

"I did," Lyanna quietly responded, weaving her hair into a braid. "Is everyone awake?"

"They're all preparing for the battle as we speak," Morgana answered, trying to adjust her armour precisely. "I'd never think that I would be fighting in a battle."

Lyanna thought the same thing. Since they were women they would never be allowed to fight in a battle. This would be her first fight as well and she was really frightened about it. She feared more than ever that someone would get hurt. As they had all put on their armour Lyanna's throat started to feel dry, as if all the air was slowly disappearing out of her lungs.

"Are you alright?" Gwen asked concerned, placing a hand on her mistress shoulder.

She nodded slowly. "I'm a bit worried, I guess."

"It's all going to be alright," her servant assured her. "We're going to defeat Kanen and win this battle."

"Gwen is right," Morgana agreed, eying her friends. "We now have a chance to win this, which we will."

Their words did comfort her, and Lyanna smiled gracefully at them. Morgana had always been a true friend of her ever since the King's ward had come to Camelot. She had always liked Gwen, but since Marie had died and Gwen had become her servant as well Lyanna had gotten so much closer with her. "I'm sure you two are right. We should get going."

The three of them made their way into the small town where the villagers were waiting for orders. Both Pendragon siblings walked down the line of villagers, shaking their hands to wish them good luck.

After Arthur had spoken with Gwen he turned to his sister. "Did you remember what I told you the other day?" he asked. Together with the villagers they had come up with a plan to surprise Kanen and his men.

She nodded. "I do. I will not let you down," she promised him before she ran away, followed by a couple of villagers. They had agreed to spread groups of people across Ealdor, so that they could attack Kanen from every side.

She told the villagers to take in their hiding positions behind a house as Kanen and his men rode out of the woods and into the village to search everywhere. A death silence fell into town. Everyone was too frightened to exhale deeply, in case they would get found.

Gwen and a villager pulled up a hidden gate, trapping the riders inside it. Lyanna sighed relieved when the first phase of their plan had succeeded. At that was left now as for Morgana to light a fire. After nothing happened for a moment Lyanna figured out that something must've been wrong.

"Stay here," she ordered the villagers. Lyanna picked up her sword and hastily ran through the village. Kanen spotted her running and gave the signal for his man to fire at her. She managed to dodge a few arrows until she reached Morgana who was desperately trying to light a fire. "Give me the flint."

Morgana handed them over as the princess pretended to use them. When the King's ward wasn't watching she quietly whispered, "Baerne." The fire was lit and a prepared line flamed up, trapping the riders. Kanen's men rode back into the village after he had given them the order to return.

Adrenaline rushed through Lyanna's veins when her brother gave a sign. The villagers let out a battle cry as they sprung out of their hiding spots to fight. A rider rode up towards Lyanna. With a swing from her sword she managed to unhorse the rider.

More riders got aware of their presence and made their way over to them. Together with Morgana she fought them bravely, taking a stand. They couldn't give up.

"I sure can get used to this," Morgana breathed when she pierced one of Kanen's men into his stomach.

"You sure are one of a kind," Lyanna replied with a faint smile, wiping the sweat of her brow. "There are too many of them."

A tall man with a black mask on his head came storming towards her, yelling ferociously. In his hand he carried a large axe, which was bigger than her sword. "You're going to regret coming here, princess," he spat out, swinging with his axe.

She dodged the first blow, but was surprised when his second one slashed through the skin of her left arm. Lyanna cursed inwardly. "You're going to regret this." With a growl she opened the attack, swinging angrily at him with her sword and defeated him.

After a while Lyanna had made her way through the village, fighting alongside her brother. Ever since she had been allowed to train with the knights she had wondered what it would be like to fight alongside her brother one day. It was truly something she would never forget.

Both siblings watched ahead of them, seeing a windstorm appear a couple of meters away from them. Lyanna shielded her face with her arm as it took Kanen's men and threw them away. The remaining men fled to the woods. There was only one explanation why a windstorm had appeared so suddenly, and that was magic.

Kanen appeared on the end of the path. "Pendragon!" he shouted venomously. When he got sight of the prince he took off his cloak and his helmet before he stormed towards him. He clearly wanted revenge because his plan to terrify this village had failed.

Lyanna leaped between them and blocked Kanen's blow. The man fought aggressively, and was much more of a challenge than his men. He didn't seem to care that he was fighting with a woman instead, and kept continuing to swing at her.

"Did you honestly think that you would stand a chance against me, little girl?" Kanen asked amusingly, grinning widely.

"Did you?" she repeated when she ran him through. Kanen collapsed before her on the ground. As the princess tried to regain her breath Arthur stood beside her.

"What were you thinking, Lyanna?" he asked bewildered. "You could get yourself killed! Do you know how furious father would be at me if something would happen to you?"

She rolled with her eyes. "Well, I didn't. I'm still here," she responded dryly. "Your life is worth more than mine. I couldn't let him have a chance."

He decided not to argue with her and marched angrily towards Merlin and Will. "Who did that?"

"Why?" Merlin asked. Lyanna feared that her brother would find out the truth about her friend, and wondered what she could do to prevent that. She couldn't believe that Arthur was making a fuss about that when they had won the battle.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear from nowhere. I know magic when I see it. One of you made that happen."

Merlin met Lyanna's doubtful gaze. "Arthur…" he started.

She knew that he was going to tell the truth, and she had to do something. "Arthur, why should it matter? We've won the battle. There is no need to worry about something irrelevant like this."

"Look out!" Will suddenly yelled. He pushed Arthur out of the way and got hit by an arrow himself. Everyone turned around to see that it had been Kanen who had fired. Within a second the barbarian had died.

Will collapsed on the ground before them. "You just saved my life," Arthur gasped in utter shock.

"Yeah," Will muttered. "Don't know what I was thinking."

"We need to get him inside so I can take a look," Lyanna quickly instructed them.

Merlin, Arthur and a couple of men carried Will inside the common house. They placed him onto the table as the princess rushed towards his side. The arrow in his chest caused Will to breathe difficultly, as if all the air was being pushed out of his lungs.

She pulled it out, causing him to gasp in utter pain. "I'm sorry," she apologized truthfully as she pressed an old cloth against his wound. The arrow had pierced his heart and he was suffering from an inner bleeding. There was no remedy or cure that could stop this. It would only be a matter of time until he would die.

"Don't be." He gave her a faint smile before looking at Arthur. "That's twice I've saved you."

"Twice?" Arthur asked puzzled, his eyes knitted in confusion.

"Yeah, it was me. I'm the one that used the magic."

Lyanna exchanged a look with Merlin who was looking just as surprised as she was. She couldn't believe that he was lying just to keep Merlin's secret safe. "It will be better not to speak," she warned him. "It will only hurt."

"It's alright," Will responded. "I won't be alive long enough for anyone to do anything to me. I did it. I saw how desperate things were becoming and I had to do something."

"You're a sorcerer?" Arthur asked, obviously not too pleased about this.

"Yeah. What are you going to do? Kill me?"

Lyanna looked up at Arthur, who exhaled deeply. His entire life he had only known the evil of magic. Maybe this would help him change his mind. "No," Arthur assured him. "Of course not. Do what you can for him." Both Lyanna and Merlin nodded. Arthur put his hand on Will's shoulder before he leaded the women out of the house.

"I was right about him. I told you he was going to get me killed," Will muttered when they were all alone. She didn't understand how he could still be joking at a time like this. Maybe it was his personality. She would never know.

"You're not going to die," Merlin protested, keeping hope. Lyanna decided to keep quiet, knowing that wouldn't happen.

"You're a good man, Merlin. A great man. And one day, you're going to be Servant to a great King. Now you can still make that happen."

"Thanks to you," the warlock responded, tears stinging in his eyes.

Will turned to face the healer which was kneeled beside his other side. "I'm sorry. I was wrong about you," he apologized sincerely. "Can you do something for me?"

Lyanna's throat was burning, but she nodded. "Yes, sure. Whatever you want."

"Make him happy." He briefly eyed his friend. "I know that he cares a great deal about you. He hasn't stopped talking about you ever since he got here. He likes you."

Merlin's cheeks had flushed crimson as the princess smiled through her tears. "I will not let you down. You have my word," she promised him. This was the least thing that she could do for him, even though she had rarely known him.

Will gave her a warm smile. "I'm scared," he suddenly whispered, fear filling his bright eyes.

"Don't be. It's going to be alright," Merlin assured him, tears streaming down his cheek.

He said the name of his friend once more before he let out a final breath, and his expression had gone blank. A silence filled the house when Lyanna quickly pulled Merlin into a tight embrace as he sobbed into her shoulder. This was the moment that she had to be there for him.

For a while they stood there together, while not a word was being said. Eventually Merlin pulled back, his tears had dried up on his cheek. Gently Lyanna rubbed them away while she looked into his eyes. There were many things that she wanted to say, but she wasn't sure what. She assumed that Merlin wasn't in the mood for a conversation. "I'm sorry," was all that she said, and she meant it. It couldn't be easy to lose a friend.

"Thank you," he responded cranky. His eyes were red from crying and puffy.

That afternoon the villagers had gathered at the field, watching Will's funeral pyre. Lyanna stood beside Morgana and Guinevere, her hands folded before her. Slowly, when everyone left she waited beside the pyre until Merlin was finished with talking with his mother.

When he walked towards her she wrapped her arm around his shoulder as they made their way through the village. "Now that you're coming back with us to Camelot that means that you're have to do chores for Arthur again," Lyanna helped him remember. "The stables are waiting for you." Merlin burst into laughter and she joined him. It was nice to see him in a lighter spirit again.

* * *

**First I want to let you all know that this kiss was indeed just a spur of the moment, but also the beginning of Lyanna's and Merlin relationship (if I can call it like that). They will begin to notice that there is more than friendship in time ;) I don't want to rush it. Time to reply to the reviews!**

**KatieWatsonHolmes: Thank you for always reviewing! It warms my heart that you think my English is beautiful :) Omg did you really shout that? That's hilarious. Merlin is indeed a precious baby ;) Well watching it with your boyfriend does sound like a grand idea haha. Your comment cracked me up. I just totally imagined you appearing between them and just shoving them together. I hope this chapter pleased you, Keeper of Time and Space *wink* And yes I want the relationship between Arthur and Lyanna to be as natural as possible and my brother and I always behaved like this haha, and I always pictured Arthur to behave like a big brother if he had a sister. Have you tackled your brother yet? ;p But thanks again, dear. **

**Yellowroseofthenw: Thanks for reviewing! It pleases me to hear that you like it :-) Sorry for the eyebrow wiggle haha, but I hope this chapter made it up haha ;p**

**ArmyWife22079: Well, Freya is still plenty of chapters away I'm afraid but I'm sure that Lyanna may get jealous. Can't tell too much about that yet ;)**

**Btw: Do we have a ship name for Lyanna and Merlin yet? ;D**


	12. The Labyrinth of Gedref

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

I've never had so many reviews before and I'm honestly overwhelmed by it! Thanks everyone who is reading this story and for the new reviewers!

**EmilyGrace31: *Gives you a bag for your hyperventilating!* I'm so glad that you enjoyed their first kiss(ses). You can never say adorable enough though haha. And don't worry about reviewing, it already made my day that you did now :) I hope this chapter always makes you happy! And wow it means the world that you're staying that! THANK you so much for all of that!  
**

**Lbunny: Thank you for reviewing and I'm honestly flattered that my updates have that affect on you! Yes I really love the name Myanna as well :) Thanks for suggesting that.**

**KatieWatsonHolmes: I just totally pictured you shouting that. Oh my you poor landlady haha! It warms my heart to read that you were enjoying the last chapter so much ;) Your reviews always make me happy, so thank you. Your brother must've been terrified when you suddenly tackled him haha. Well I'm just going to say this kiss was the tip of the ice berg. There is much more to come *hint hint* but that's for another time haha. Please calm down ;) *Pulls you into a big hug* THANKS for ALWAYS reviewing! Lots of love back from me :)**

**MoonlightWolf16: Thanks for reviewing! And yes I also like Meranna or Lylalin ;) or even Myanna. There are so many choices haha.**

**Yellowroseofthenw: Might take them a while to realize what's really going on ;) but thanks for reviewing. I'm glad that you enjoyed their moments together haha. **

**Guest: I really like the shipnames that you've suggested! I think they're amazing! Thank you so much for suggesting them :)**

**Molly: Well I'm glad that you've found it :"D ah thank you for saying that that's very sweet. **

**g6: Freya is indeed a while away but I've already written down my plans with the lovely Druid girl and I cannot tell you much about that right now, so I guess that you'll just have to wait I'm afraid. I can assure you that it's going to be something completely different ;)**

**A/N- **Alright I think this is the longest chapter that I've written!

**Please enjoy this new chapter!**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter twelve: The Labyrint of Gedref**

A strong eastern wind put a chill into Lyanna's skin. She was sitting in the saddle of Lumiere as her eyes scanned the scenery around them. This morning Arthur had stumbled into her chambers to ask her to join him on another hunting trip. The previous ones were still fresh in her mind, and she hoped that this was would be more successful.

"Over there," she instructed them, pointing between the trees. "I suggest that we try on foot."

Nobody argued with her, and they all did as she told. Arthur sent two of his knights around the other way as they made their way to the pass. She was carrying a crossbow as she leaded everyone into the direction of the sound.

"Merlin," Arthur whispered. His servant was standing behind him, carrying all his belongings. He hesitantly made his way over to him, clearly feeling out of his element. The warlock had complained several times about the dreadful hunting trips, and how badly he despised them.

"What is it?" Merlin asked doubtfully.

"I don't know," the prince muttered. "We'll surround it. I want you to go in there and flush it out."

Lyanna abruptly turned around, facing her brother. "Are you serious?" she questioned in bewilderment. "You cannot send an unarmed man out there. We don't even know what it is and it could be dangerous. I'll go."

Before he could protest she was already heading towards the sound. She walked through the depth of the woods where sunlight crept through the roof of the trees. With every step that she took she felt more alive, as if something powerful was present.

As she reached a small clearing she witnessed the most beautiful creature that she had ever laid eyes upon. It was a unicorn with a bright white coat, and a white mane. On its forehead stood an impressive white horn. The creature was definitely enchanting.

Slowly, she took a few steps forwards until she stood still before it. The unicorn snorted quietly as she carefully extended her hand. As she stared at him she completely forgot the reason why she was here.

"Darya. Child of the Earth, your path as the Princess of Camelot is a long one."

Lyanna blinked confused. She was uncertain whether or not she had imagined that the unicorn was talking to her. Never before had an animal spoken to her like that. The memory of the world allowing her to pet her came back to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly, stroking its pink muzzle. This had been the first time that she had ever seen a unicorn before, and she had never dared to dream that she would be touching it. She had only heard about these creatures from myths and people who had claimed they had seen one. It was truly remarkable that this was real.

An arrow was fired and pierced the unicorn into its chest. It let out a cry in pain as it stumbled on its side. Lyanna rushed to its side to see if there was something that she could do. While she stroked its head it let out a final breath and went silent.

Coldness washed through her as her entire body seemed to have frozen. She could only stare at the magnificent creature that was lying dead before her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling incredibly guilty. She had been the one that leaded them here in the first place. If she had guided them into an opposite direction none of this would've happened.

Arthur entered the clearing, laughing proudly. "A unicorn!" he exclaimed cheerfully, obviously impressed with the result of his shot.

"You killed it," Lyanna stated coldly. "You killed a unicorn."

"And what of it?" Arthur scoffed. "There is no need to cry for it."

The witch exhaled deeply. "You killed a creature that is pure of heart." According to the myths that she had read there was a terrible curse if someone would kill a unicorn. Whether it was true or not she did not know, but now they could only wait for what could happen.

A white cloaked man appeared behind her brother. It was an elder man with a large wooden staff. When he looked at her she felt something stirring inside her.

"What are you two looking at?" Arthur asked. He and the other two knights turned around, but the man was already gone.

Lyanna exchanged a look with Merlin who was looking just as bewildered as she did. Clearly he had seen the same thing.

During the ride back to Camelot Lyanna kept quiet. She was lost in her own thoughts as she tried to remember whatever she had read about the myth, but it was a big blur. She had to find out what is was.

Together with Arthur and the knights they entered the council chamber. Merlin carried the unicorn horn on a pillow. "Father," Arthur called. "A unicorn horn to grace the walls of Camelot."

Everyone looked at awe at the horn. "Magnificent," the King gaped, impressed with his son. "It's the first one I've ever seen." Uther took the horn from the pillow. "Gaius, look at this."

The court physician's face looked rather blank. "It's rather impressive, My Lord."

The King noticed Gaius' doubt. "What is it, Gaius? Speak your mind."

"Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures. There is a legend that says a bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one."

Arthur growled. "You sound exactly like Lyanna. She kept complaining that I had killed a creature that was pure of heart."

Everyone was now looking at the princess who was looking irritated. "Of course I was complaining. What Gaius said is right. There is a myth."

The King scoffed at their theories. "Nonsense. We will be the envy of every kingdom." Uther patted his son proudly on the shoulder.

"I'm pleased you like it," the prince laughed.

Lyanna sighed out of frustration. "I can't believe you two," she snapped, storming out of the council chamber. For today she has had more than enough of the stubbornness of her family. She couldn't believe that they could be so foolish.

She spent a couple of hours in Morgana's chamber staring out of the window as she pretended to listen to everything that was being sad."Lyanna," Morgana called out loudly, blocking the view of the princess who broke out of her trance.

"Yes," she muttered, straightening herself. "What is it?"

"I don't think that she heard you," Gwen giggled. "We all know that she has the ability to suddenly drift to another world inside her mind."

Lyanna laughed sarcastically. "Very funny," she replied, fidgeting with her silver bracelet. "I was just thinking about the unicorn that Arthur killed this morning, and what can happen."

"And why are you thinking about such a thing?" Morgana wondered, assisting her servant with folding some clothes. "Nothing has happened."

"Not yet," she sighed. "I fear something terrible will."

Other than worrying about might happen, she was also wondering how it was possible that a unicorn was able to talk to her. Never before had an animal spoken to her and she didn't understand a single thing about it. Maybe it was because the unicorn was a creature of magic and not like ordinary animals.

There came a knock on the door and Arthur entered the chamber of the King's ward. "Lyanna," he started, eying his sibling. "Father requests your service as a matter of urgency."

She immediately rose from her armchair, patting the skirt of her burgundy dress before she followed her brother through the corridors of the castle. "What on earth is the matter?" Lyanna wondered confused.

"Father did not say. He wants to meet us at the fields," Arthur replied doubtfully. Neither one of them understood what was going on, and wanted to know what was troubling the King.

When they reached the fields they found Uther standing in the middle of a field. The normally beautiful crop had turned into dead wheat stalks. "Every single ear has died. We've received reports that it's the same throughout the entire kingdom," Uther informed his children, sounding grim.

"How odd," Lyanna muttered quizzed. "We rode through this valley only yesterday. The crop looked healthy enough then."

"It happened overnight. Farmers are at a lost to explain it."

Lyanna was perplexed. Never before had something like this happened throughout the entire kingdom. The entire situation gave her a heavy stone in her stomach, making her feel at unease.

"Is it a disease of some kind?" Arthur wondered, looking around him.

"Perhaps," Uther responded. "I've asked the court physician to conduct some tests. I expect that you shall help him." He looked at his daughter. "We must ration what little food we have left."

Lyanna nodded understandingly. "I will help him in every way that I can, Sire" she assured the King and started to make her way back to the castle. She entered the physician chambers where she found Gaius mixing some potions together.

"Lyanna," he greeted, sounding rather relieved. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Where else should I be?" she asked with a smirk. "I thought that I was your apprentice."

He chuckled. "Of course you are, dear. And a very good one at that. You sure have the potential to become a great physician one day. Then I'm not even talking about the power you possess and what you can do with it."

"Don't give me too many compliments, Gaius. I might blush," she joked, giving the physician a warm smile. "I came here because my father informed me that you were doing some tests to see what was causing this. Did you have any luck?"

"Not yet so far," he retorted sadly.

The door swung open and Merlin entered the physician chambers, looking rather out of his element. When he noticed the princess standing at the table his eyes twinkled. "Oh, hi Lyanna. I had no idea that you would be here."

"Why does everyone keep thinking that?" Lyanna wondered, a smile touching her lips. "I've been spending more time in here than I have with my own family." They both laughed as she handed Gaius some ingredients. "Do you believe that it's a disease?"

He placed the bottles back on the table. "No disease I have heard of could spread through the entire kingdom in a single night."

"What could kill all the plants other than a disease?" Merlin wondered, making his way over to them.

"It is not killing all the plants. The trees and hedges around the crop fields are unarmed. Unfortunately, you can't eat trees and hedges."

The sound of potions boiling was the only sound being heard for a moment. "It doesn't make sense that only the plants that we can eat are dying," Lyanna said. "I fear it's not a disease."

The physician looked at her. "We can't assume that, Lyanna. Perhaps there is something in the soil and water that can explain it. I can't tell the King it's caused by sorcery until I'm completely certain."

Lyanna sighed, knowing that Gaius was right. Yet she couldn't help but think about the unicorn that her brother had killed this morning, as if it somehow was connected. She turned her head to watch the warlock. "Was Arthur still bragging about today's hunt?"

Merlin shrugged. "Not really. He obviously thinks that that the two of you are wrong about the myth. He was complaining that there was a rat in his chambers and has given me the order to find it."

"That does sound like my brother," she replied, giggling. "He's obviously too lazy to do it himself. Of course, that was before this happened. If you need any help you know where to find me." She smirked with mischief when she ruffled through his raven hair and made her way towards the door. "I'll go to the market to get some herbs."

She picked up an emerald green cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders as she exited the physician chambers. A chill autumn wind welcomed her when she stepped outside. She walked through the lower town of Camelot where she found her father and brother where they kept the grain. She peered through the window and watched to see what they were doing.

Arthur opened a small shaft in the grain store, which dumped out a small pile of grain. "This is all the grain we have?" Uther asked bewildered.

"The people are growing scared. There's been some loothing," Arthur announced sadly.

"We must maintain order at all costs. Panic will make the situation worse. I'll issue a decree that looters will be executed. From tonight, Camelot will be under curfew," Uther ordered.

Lyanna drew in a sharp breath. Whatever was going on it was working fast. She feared for the lives of innocent people now that food throughout the kingdom was growing scares.

* * *

The rest of the day Lyanna did whatever she could to assist Gaius in finding what had caused this sudden disease. The following morning she returned early to the physician chambers so that they could continue their search.

"Have you even slept at all last night?" Gaius asked quietly, noticing the bags underneath her eyes.

She exhaled deeply and placed the bottle back on the table. "I can't sleep while innocent people are dying, Gaius. There must be an explanation to why this is suddenly happening. It's almost as if the kingdom is cursed."

"Yes, but you won't be of use to the people if you collapse from exhaustion," the physician reasoned with her. Suddenly his eyes widened. "What did you just say? Curse?" he muttered to himself.

Both of them realized the exact same thing. "Do you mean that Arthur killing a unicorn has something to do with what's going on right now?" she wondered. It was possible because of the myth that was told.

"I'm afraid so," Gaius responded grimly. "Let us hope we're mistaking."

They continued to take some more tests before a guard entered the physician chamber. "My Lady, Gaius. Your presence if required by the King at the main square," he clarified and left again.

Lyanna and the physician looked at each other, both fearing what had happened now. Together they walked out of the chambers and made their way towards the main square where they found the king and Arthur standing at the well. Uther shifted sand through his fingers into a bucket from the well. "Sand. And you say the well is full of it?" Uther wanted to know.

"I send men down to the underground reservoir. There is no trace of water to be found," Arthur announced.

"First the crops, and now this."

Gaius and Lyanna exchanged another brief look. Their suspicion of the curse was only growing stronger of what they had just witnessed. They just weren't fully convinced yet. Now that they had seen this they were surely convinced that it was magic.

"It's the same throughout the kingdom," the prince continued. "There's precious little water anywhere."

Lyanna's throat became dry. She thought about all those innocent people that were now suffering because there was no food and no water. She had to help them.

"Gaius. Lyanna. Can you offer any explanation for this?" Uther asked them.

"We cannot think of a scientific explanation. We can only conclude it's the result of sorcery," Gaius informed them.

"I believe you're right. It is the work of magic," the King agreed with him. He turned around to look through the square. "The kingdom is under attack."

Lyanna and Gaius made their way back to the physician chambers where they found Merlin sitting with a bucket of sand and his magic book opened in front of him. "_**Gréot gecymen, lecan. Gecymen gé drýe wæter,**_" he chanted.

The two physicians approached. "I was… I was just, er…" Merlin stammered.

"There is no need to worry," Lyanna assured him kindly.

"I was hoping you might be trying to turn it back into water. I know I've cautioned against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents, it's now," Gaius told them while he sat down.

Merlin slumped his shoulders. "Well, I wish I knew how. I've tried everything. If it's magic, it's more powerful magic than I possess."

Lyanna exhaled. "I'm afraid that our magic doesn't stand a chance against the curse that's been casted over Camelot. We need to find a way to break it or everyone will perish."

After hours of trying to come up with a solution to break the curse Gaius eventually announced that it was time for them to rest and to continue their search in the morning. Lyanna knew that she was of more use when she was fully rested.

Together with Merlin she walked over the square while a dim light hung over Camelot. "Lyanna. Merlin. You two do realize there's a curfew?" Arthur asked as he approached them.

"Yeah, I was in your chambers, hunting for that rat," Merlin quickly lied.

"Did you find it?"

"No."

Arthur stood still before them and looked at his servant. "So you have been outwitted by a rat?"

"They do say rats are very intelligent creatures," Lyanna chimed in, trying to save Merlin's honor a bit.

"More intelligent than my servant it would seem. Go home. It would be embarrassing if I have to lock up my own sister and servant for breaking the curfew," Arthur said. Arthur spotted a white cloaked man walking through the courtyard corridor and into the palace. "What was that?" the prince asked puzzled.

Both Lyanna and Merlin looked around doubtfully because they hadn't seen what he had seen. "What was what?" Lyanna replied.

The three of them run after the man. Arthur jumped over the ledge of the corridor. They chased the man down the upper cirrodr, down some stairs, and down the Wrought Iron Stairway to the Burial Vaults where they lost him. Arthur signed to Merlin who nodded understandingly and then followed Arthur and his sister.

"That means you go the other way and cut him off," Arthur clarified irritated. Lyanna had to do her best to hold in her laughter before she followed her brother.

They go in opposite directions and end up back at the stairway without seeing anyone. The cloaked men's silhouette appeared when he briefly rounded the corner. They split up again, but once more they return to the stairway without seeing anyone.

"Where is he?" Arthur complained.

"It's almost as if he's vanished," Lyanna muttered to herself.

"I didn't see anyone," Merlin responded.

"He was right here! Don't tell me you let him get past you," Arthur roared irritated.

"Arthur, no one passed me."

"Are you blind?"

"Are you looking for me?" another voice said. Before them stood the cloaked man both Merlin and Lyanna had seen earlier in the forest when Arthur had killed the unicorn. "I'm Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns." That surely took Lyanna's breath away for a second. The curse was real!

"Camelot is under curfew. What's your business here?" Arthur demanded to know, not believing what this man claimed to be.

"I've come to deliver a message and it's for you, Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur tensed. "Is it you who's responsible for killing our crops, tuning our water into sand?" Lyanna thought it was best not to interfere with their conversation, but to listen to what was being said.

"You alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Camelot," Anhora said.

"Me?! You think I'd bring drought and famine upon my own people?" Arthur asked outraged.

Lyanna bit her bottom lip. "I'm afraid when you killed the unicorn, Arthur, you unleashed a curse. For this, Camelot will suffer greatly," she said quietly. Arthur looked at his sister for a brief second, before turning to Anhora.

"If you have put a curse on Camelot, you will lift it, or you will pay with your life," Arthur threatened the man.

"The curse was not my doing," Anhora clarified, but Arthur didn't believe him.

"Undo the curse or face execution."

"Only you can do that. You will be tested," Anhora warned him seriously.

Arthur had gotten tired of the whole ordeal. "You're under arrest." He reached out for Anhora, but the man had disappeared and Arthur stumbled. He reappeared on the stairway.

"Until you have proven yourself, and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests, Camelot will be damned for all eternity," Anhora made clear before he disappeared again.

There fell a silence into the room. Arthur stormed off before saying another word, clearly thinking of what Anhora had said to him. Merlin escorted Lyanna safely back to her chamber before returning to Gaius. That night Lyanna didn't sleep. Anhora's words kept repeating themselves inside her head and she wondered what kind of tests he was referring to.

She had just gotten dressed the next morning when Gwen entered her chamber, carrying a tray filled with breakfast. It wasn't as full as it normally was. "Good morning, My Lady. I'm sorry, but this is all that I could find and –'

"It's enough, Gwen," she assured her maidservant placidly. "Thank you. Have you eaten enough yourself?"

Gwen went to place the tray upon the table but somehow managed to trip over her own feet. Before the servant would hit the floor Lyanna used an incantation spell to prevent her from further falling down. She remained hovering above the ground until Lyanna slowly put Gwen back onto her feet.

The servant could only look at her mistress with widened eyes. "You – you have magic," she concluded quietly, obviously surprised by what she had witnessed. Lyanna felt foolish that she been found out, but she only wanted to help Gwen.

"I know. I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner," Lyanna apologized honestly. "You must hate me –"

Gwen slowly approached her. "I don't hate you, Lyanna. I understand why you didn't tell me. It must've been a hard burden to keep. I cannot image what it was like. I'm grateful for what you did for me."

This reaction was surely not what Lyanna expected if she would ever be discovered. She surprised her friend by pulling her into a tight embrace. "You have no idea how pleased I am to hear that you're not disgusted by me after finding this out."

She returned the embrace. "How can you possibly think that of me? Uther is so wrong about magic. It's what inside your heart that matters. This doesn't change anything for me, Lyanna. You're still the same person as always. You're a wonderful princess, someone who is adored by all the people of Camelot and someone who puts other people before herself. I'm grateful to be your friend, My Lady."

The speech of her servant brought tears into Lyanna's eyes. She knew that she valued Gwen's friendship more than that of Morgana, who she felt more distant with. Slowly she pulled away and met Gwen's gaze. "I'm glad to have you on my side, Gwen. Over these lasts months you've truly showed what it's like to have a friend and I cannot thank you enough for being there. But please, can you keep this secret between us?" she begged desperately.

Gwen was also crying and nodded before hugging her once more. "Sure I will. Your secret is safe with me." After a minute she let go off her again. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"Only Merlin and Gaius," Lyanna admitted. "Merlin also has magic." As soon as she had said that she regretted it. She knew that Merlin would probably be angry at her for spilling his secret, but she had no other choice. She trusted Gwen with all her heart and was willing to risk her life for her friend. "He'll hate me for saying that."

"Don't worry too much," Gwen assured her. "I won't tell another soul."

"Thank you, Gwen," she replied gratefully, smiling brightly at her friend. "I should get going towards Gaius. You can have my breakfast."

Once she reached the physician chambers she saw Gaius in the kitchen preparing breakfast while Merlin sat at the table. As she saw the warlock looking at her she couldn't help but feel guilty. She hoped that this wouldn't ruin things between them.

"Good morning," she greeted them, and closed the door.

"Good morning, dear," Gaius greeted cheerfully. "Have you already eaten breakfast?"

She shook her head. "No, I gave it to Gwen," she replied. "But I'm not hungry so –"

"Nonsense," the physician cut her off. "Sit down." She did as he told her and sat down beside Merlin who didn't say anything. Lyanna nervously fidgeted with her necklace while Gaius placed three rather empty bowls on the table. "Not much for breakfast, I'm afraid. We're down to our last scraps of food."

Merlin grabbed a cup. "Where did you get the water to make the tea?" he wondered and took a sip from the tea.

"Fortunately, for us, you forgot to empty your bath yesterday," Gaius clarified.

Lyanna scrunched her nose while Merlin slowly spit out his tea back into the cup. "You're making tea from my bath water?" he asked bewildered.

"It's not so bad. Perhaps a little… soapy," Gaius responded. Merlin sighed. "What does Arthur think about the curse?"

Merlin scoffed. "He doesn't believe it's his fault. He's convinced Anhora's responsible for it."

"If you do not wish to drink bath water, you better make sure Arthur sees sense."

Lyanna remained quiet as she took small bites of the breakfast, feeling rather guilty for eating while her people were starving.

"Is something troubling you?" Merlin asked quietly once Gaius had left the physician chambers to speak to the King. "You haven't said much since you came here."

She was surprised by his observation and that he had noticed that. "I'm afraid that you'll be angry with me," she said quietly, not daring to meet his gaze.

"And why would I possibly be angry at you?" he asked, not understanding what she was referring to.

"Because I did something foolish."

This was driving Merlin crazy and he wanted to know what she meant with that. He tried to reassure her by grabbing her hands, and drew circles on the back of her hands with his thumbs. "You can tell me anything," he encouraged her.

"I told Gwen that we have magic," Lyanna flapped out before bursting into tears. She couldn't bear the thought of Merlin hating her. She looked down at her hands while tears roamed freely down her cheek. "It wasn't my intention. I – Gwen tripped over her feet and I used magic to prevent her from falling. Gwen wasn't disgusted with me, but understood why I had kept it a secret and promised not to tell anyone. Then she asked me who also knew about this, and I told her you also had magic. Merlin, I'm so sorry. It didn't mean to tell her, but it happened. I feel so stupid. I completely understand if you hate me and want to break all contact with me and –"

"Look at me," Merlin ordered, his voice surprisingly calm. She didn't obey him, so he put his finger under her chin so that she was looking at him. His eyes weren't filled with hatred, but looked sad. "I'm not angry at you, Lyanna. You shouldn't feel sorry. It's alright."

She pressed her lips together. "You're not angry? I just spilled your biggest secret to someone and you –" her voice trailed off because of the emotions inside of her.

"Lyanna, take a deep breath," he insisted gently. She did what he asked of her. "I know that you didn't do it on purpose. Besides I trust Gwen. Everything is fine."

Merlin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. His hand ran through her golden hair while she buried her head into the nuzzle of his neck. "I'm not worthy of your friendship," she murmured quietly.

"Don't say that," he shushed here. "Just let your emotions go. I'm here."

That was all that Lyanna needed for her tears to roam freely. Merlin continued to comfort her while she cried and let all of her emotions go. Lyanna rarely cried but it was becoming some sort of a habit to cry in front of him. Maybe it was because she felt safest in his arms.

For a long while the two of them sat there like that and Lyanna never felt more at ease. Slowly she felt exhaustion washing over her and her breathing became steadier. "I love you, Merlin," she whispered quietly.

The warlock felt his entire body stiffen at hearing those three words coming from out of her mouth. Have I imagined it? Unsure how to react he slowly looked down only to see that she had fallen asleep against his chest. He knew that she hadn't slept for two days so it was only logical that she would pass out sooner or later. He was convinced that she had only uttered those words in her sleep.

He carefully picked her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to his room where he placed her in his bed. She smacked softly with her lips when he tugged her underneath the covers. As he headed towards the door he noticed how beautiful she was. He hadn't met anyone that came close to her beauty. And because she was so down to earth and kind, it only made her more beautiful to him. He knew all too well that he liked her as more than just friends, but he was well are that nothing could ever happen because he was just a mere servant. She was destined for someone greater than he was. Someone who was born into a noble family. He walked out of the room and made his way towards Arthur's chambers to help the prat with preparing him for the day.

* * *

Lyanna slowly stirred inside her sleep and opened her eyes. As she looked around she noticed that she wasn't lying in her own bed, but in Merlin's. Panic immediately rushed through body and she worried that something must've happened before she ended up here. She started to make the bed so that it looked decent before she walked out of the bedroom and found Gaius standing at the table.

"What am I doing here?" Lyanna asked unsure, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"You passed out from exhaustion this morning," Gaius explained friendly. "Merlin was kind enough to put you in his bed so that you could sleep before he left for work. At the memory of Merlin reassuring her like that her cheeks grew warm and Lyanna bit her lip to shake it off a bit, in the hope that the physician didn't notice. "Everything alright, Lyanna?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm fine," she quickly replied, making her way over to him. "What time is it?"

"It's just past noon, dear," he told her. Lyanna sighed. She had at least slept for four hours. "Would you care for a lunch? I've got some stew left, but it isn't much."

She shook her head. Gaius couldn't give all of his food to her. "It's alright. I'm not that hungry."

The physician sighed at that. "My dear, when are you finally going to see that you're not a burden to anyone? You think that by not eating you'll be helping out others. You already refused to sleep because of that. Please, it would make me a very happy man if you would eat lunch with me."

Gaius never asked much of her, and she could see the truth in what he said. She had given up her food and sleep in the hope of helping innocent people of Camelot, but it wasn't working. It would only be a matter of time before she would pass out again.

"Thank you, Gaius. For looking after me," she said gratefully. She thought of her father who barely asked how she had been doing for weeks. Even though Uther was truly her father, she felt closer to Gaius than she would ever would with her own father. "Why are you always so kind to me?"

Gaius handed her a bowl of stew. "Because I care about you as if you're my own daughter, even when you're not. I never thought that I would be blessed this late at life with you and Merlin. For that I am grateful."

She smiled brightly at the physician while they started to eat the small amount of food that they had for lunch. By the time they had finished eating their lunch they went to look for some information to break the curse that was corrupting Camelot. For many hours they fluttered through thick books about myths and legend but didn't come to a conclusion. Eventually Lyanna let out a growl of frustration and slammed her head in the book.

It was already late in the afternoon when she left the physician chambers and returned to check in on her brother who she found in his chamber together with Merlin. The warlock noticed her presence and his cheeks reddened.

"Lyanna. Can I help you?" Arthur asked, slightly irritated.

She stepped further inside his chamber, her hands folded in front of her. "I was just checking in on you to see how you were doing after the events of last night," she clarified.

Arthur folded his hands underneath his chin as he watched her. "I'm alright. We have to stop that sorcerer because he's causing too much harm to this kingdom," he replied. Lyanna was quizzed to hear that her brother still didn't want to hear anything about a curse, and believed that he had made no mistake by killing the unicorn. "We have a plan."

"A plan?" she repeated with knitted eyebrows. "How on earth do you plan to stop a sorcerer?" She spoke the word to let him know that she wasn't fully convinced about the man's true nature. Sure Anhora possessed magic, but he didn't use it to cast the curse. She thought that Arthur knew better than that.

"Yes!" Arthur almost shouted. "I think I've figured out what Anhora's next move is going to be, and when he makes it, we're going to be waiting."

Lyanna exchanged a side-glance with Merlin who was just as confused as she was. "What on earth do you plan to do? Guard the grain store until Anhora shows up?"

Arthur smirked. "We will indeed."

There wasn't exactly much food for Lyanna to eat during dinner, and she chose to eat an apple before she made her way to the grain store together with Merlin to keep guard. They sat down against a pillar, their bodies pressed together in the hope to keep warm in this chilly room.

"Did you know that you proclaimed your love for me this morning?" Merlin asked out of nowhere to break the comfortable silence between them.

Lyanna's eyes nearly popped out of their socket in utter shock. "I did what?" she almost shouted, but Merlin quickly covered her mouth by putting his hand on it.

"Before you fell asleep you whispered that you loved me," he clarified. Lyanna was perplexed. She couldn't believe that she had actually admitted something like that to him.

He pulled back his hand. "Are you sure that I addressed it to you because maybe it was addressed to someone else."

Merlin smiled faintly. "I'm quite sure. You even mentioned my name." He noticed how her body immediately tensed and how she started to panic. "It's alright, Lyanna. I know that you must've said it because you hadn't slept in days."

At that moment Lyanna knew that she never met someone who was as wonderful and endearing as Merlin. She even noticed how his eyes grew darker for a brief second, before changing back to their normal sky blue color. "I'm sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable because I uttered something like that," she apologized, not knowing what else to say to him.

"I didn't make me feel uncomfortable, but I was confused at first because I wasn't aware that you had fallen asleep. It's all good," he assured her, being the kind person that he always was. That was what she admired about him. He always put other's happiness before others.

"I haven't been a good friend for you today, haven't I? First I spill your secret and then that happened –"

He grabbed her hands. "Can you please stop worrying so much about every little thing? It's not worth all the energy. I cannot be mad at you."

His words caused her to calm down and she smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure there must be something I can do which will make you get mad at me."

Merlin flashed her his trademark smile. "Only if you make sure that Arthur gives me a day off now and then," he replied playfully. She joined his laughter.

"Trust me when I say I will try to kidnap you from Arthur whenever you deserve some time for yourself. You have my word for that. Didn't I steal you from Arthur last week?" she asked puzzled.

"You did and you took me to a mountain."

"Ah yes, that was quite lovely," she said when she remembered their afternoon in the middle of the woods next to a gigantic mountain. It had been a beautiful day and they spent hours just sitting there and talking with each other. Lyanna let out a soft yawn. She was still quite tired from the events of the last days.

"Why don't you sleep for a while? I can keep watch," Merlin offered.

She turned her head to him. "Are you sure you won't mind?"

He shook his head. "Just sleep, Lyanna."

A small smile touched her lips and she murmured a thank you before she made herself more comfortable and closed her eyes. It took a while for Lyanna to block out the sounds from outside, but she eventually drifted into a dreamless sleep. Apparently Merlin was more tired than he thought from running around after Arthur all day and he also fell asleep not long after her.

For a while the two of them lay there together until Arthur stormed into the room and found his sister and his servant in that position. In her sleep Lyanna had nudged closer to Merlin and her head was resting on Merlin's shoulders and the servant had wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her close. Surely the current situation gave Arthur a wrong impression, but else could he think when he saw them like that. He had to admit that they looked peaceful like that and a part of him didn't want to wake them up, but they had some things to do.

Arthur chose to hit Merlin with a broom which caused his servant to wake up right away. Lyanna stirred restlessly in his arms and slowly opened her eyes to see the commotion around her. Once she caught sight of her brother she immediately leaped onto her feet. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair in many different directions.

"Don't you two worry about keeping watch. I see that you've made yourself comfortable," Arthur said, visibly irritated. Merlin sighed beside her and smacked his lips. "Stop smacking your lips," Arthur ordered, and strode off. "It's annoying."

"I'm thirsty," Merlin said slowly.

"We're all thirsty, Merlin."

The warlock sighed tiresome. Meanwhile Lyanna helped him onto his feet. "We better go help him because he's already in a bad mood," she suggested wisely. They followed the prince. Lyanna tensed when she heard footsteps that didn't come from them. "Someone is coming!"

Arthur drew his sword and they head towards the grain store. Here they saw the intruder's silhouette. Arthur motioned to Merlin. "You go over there and come in," he mouthed to his servant.

Lyanna was about to protest because this had turned into a disaster the other day, but Arthur pulled her along with him by the wrist. "Show yourself, before I run you through," Arthur commanded, aiming his sword. At first they saw a shovel edging around the corner before a man stepped out, carrying a shovel and a sack of grain in his hands. "Who are you?" Arthur demanded to know.

"My name is…. My name is…" the man stammered, clearly nervous because he got caught.

"Speak up!"

"Arthur," Lyanna tried to reason. "Calm down."

"My name is Evan, My Lord."

Merlin came out of his hiding place and stood still beside the princess, watching the looter curiously. "I see you think you can help yourself to our grain reserves. My father has ordered that looters be executed," Arthur supplied with a lone tone in his voice.

"Please, My Lord. My Lady," he pleaded desperately. "I—I do not steal for myself. I have three children they have not eaten for two days. They are hungry," Evan explained, trying to win sympathy. Lyanna couldn't help but pity the poor man and his children, who only wanted something to eat. She did not see any harm in what the man had done to feed his family.

"It's the same for everyone," Arthur said, not impressed. Lyanna knew her brother was right. Everyone in Camelot had to manage without food or water. So that didn't mean that this man was allowed to steal grain.

The man straightened himself. "I—I know that it's wrong to steal. I couldn't bear to see them starve."

"And could you bear for your children to see you executed?" the prince asked blankly. Evan shook his head, close to tears now. Lyanna bit her bottom lip as she waited for Arthur's reaction. "Then you should go home. If you're caught stealing again, I will not spare you."

That was the last thing Lyanna expected, and apparently neither did Merlin and Evan. She picked up the sack of grain and handed it to Evan. "Go now," she said with a faint smile.

Evan smiled and bowed before her. "I will, My Lady. Thank you, My Lord," he uttered gratefully.

"Use it sparingly. It might be the last food you and your family get for some time," Arthur said to him.

"You have shown yourself to be merciful and kind, My Lord. This will bring its own reward," Ewan said before he strode off. Lyanna watched him walk away as she wondered what his words meant. Was this a test?

* * *

That night Lyanna slept well. "Good morning, My Lady," a cheerful voice said as the curtains were being pulled open. Bright morning light entered the room while Lyanna slowly opened her eyes and saw Gwen walking through her chamber. She sat up straight.

"Good morning, Gwen. What has put you in such a good mood?" she asked before jumping out of the bed.

Gwen handed her a mug. "The reservoir is once again filled with water," the servant announced happily, a warm smile plastered on her lips.

That surely surprised Lyanna. She wondered how the water could've possibly have returned out of nowhere. For days she had barely drank anything and her throat was becoming rather dry she feared that she might lose her voice.

"Just like that?" Lyanna asked perplexed and quickly gulped down the large mug of water. She never thought that water could taste so good.

Gwen nodded. "Yes, I was in the lower town by the well and I noticed a drop of water on the sprout. I put a bucket underneath it and pushed the pump and water gushed out! It's was incredible," she nearly squeaked and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Lyanna refilled the mug and handed one to Gwen, who only smiled gratefully at her. It was already a big relieve to see that the water had returned. If only there was a way to lift the rest of the curse. Lyanna was convinced that the man looting yesterday night had been a test. Arthur must've passed the test by sparing the man's life. She wondered what the next test could be and what the whole purpose was of it.

When the Lyanna looked out of the window she noticed that more villagers from outlying villages had traveled to Camelot in the hope to find some food here. With more people inside the walls the amount of food was shrinking.

The rest of the day Lyanna spent together with Morgana and Gwen as they tried to hand out small amounts of food to some of the villagers. It was all that they could do to help out the people and it made Lyanna feel slightly better to do so.

Around nightfall Lyanna wandered through the palace corridors, unsure where she was heading. There wasn't anything to eat, so she didn't have to sit with her father at a table to eat dinner which meant she had more time for herself. Her stomach grumbled loudly as she kept walking. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon with Gaius, and she could tell that she was losing strength. But she didn't want to think about food when there were people starving. There had to be something that she could do to help out.

Lyanna chose to check up on Arthur to see if he knew more and knocked on the door of her brother. "Enter," she heard him say and slowly opened the door. He was seated at the table while Merlin placed a pan filled with food before him.

"Oh, I had no idea you were about to eat dinner. I will leave you to it," Lyanna apologized, already turning around.

"Please stay, Lee," Arthur ordered, sounding concerned. "I'm well aware that you haven't eaten anything all day. You look like a ghost." This was the second time in two days that someone had ordered her to eat something. Lyanna never had been someone who ate much, but now it was getting worse.

The scent of food caused Lyanna's legs go to wobbly and she nearly fell over as she walked towards the table. Merlin could only just catch her before she would fall and carefully assisted her into a chair. She noticed the disapproval in his eyes. He also thought that she was making a mistake by starving herself.

"We're going to the forest, first thing in the morning. Maybe we can pick up Anhora's trail," Arthur announced. "Whatever it takes."

Lyanna remained quiet, but only nodded. "Okay, but you two have to eat. You won't be able to help anyone if you're too weak to pass the test," Merlin tried to convince them.

Arthur took a bite from the stew, looking oddly surprised because of the strange taste. "What kind of meat is this? It has a very strange texture."

Merlin placed a bowl before Lyanna who immediately recognized the meat by its scent, but chose not to say what it was. She was certain that Arthur would lose his appetite if he knew what he was eating.

"It's pork," Merlin lied and stood next to the rest of the pot.

"This isn't pork. It's far too stringy. What is it? It's, erm…" he stopped in the middle of his sentence as he put the pieces together. Meanwhile Lyanna took a bite from the stew. It was rather tasteless, but she couldn't care about it. Arthur put down his spoon. "It's rat, isn't it?"

Merlin slowly nodded. "Try not to think about it," he suggested.

While Lyanna kept eating to still her hunger, Arthur had clearly lost his appetite. "Look at me. I'm being rude. Here I am, stuffing my face with this delicious stew when you're hungry too," the prince said, pretending to be generous, only to get his servant back. Arthur stood up and patted on his chair. "Come on. Take a seat." He forced Merlin down into the chair. "Eat," he ordered.

"Arthur, is this really necessary?" Lyanna tried to reason with her brother.

Arthur practically guided the spoon into Merlin's mouth who chewed on the though meat. "It's actually pretty tasty," Merlin said as he tried to swallow it.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Because…" Arthur fetched the pot of stew and placed it on the table. "… there's plenty more." There came a knock on the door. "Enter." Morgana entered the chamber. "Morgana?"

"I hate to ask, but I was wondering if you had anything to eat," the King's ward said sadly.

Arthur paused and looked at his servant, who smiled in return. "Sure, here," he replied and handed the rest of the pot to Morgana. She smiled gratefully before leaving again.

Lyanna had finished her bowl of stew in the meantime and exhaled deeply. Merlin had left the room to take away all the eating supplied, leaving Lyanna alone with her brother. "What is happening between you and my servant?" Arthur asked after a moment of silence. He was seated opposite from her, and looked at her intently.

"What do you mean?" Lyanna asked doubtfully, not understanding what he was referring to.

Arthur smiled faintly. "Because the two of you looked kind of intimate when you were supposed to be keeping guard yesterday evening."

Lyanna scoffed and tried to hide her blushing face. "Surely, is that what this is about? We had both barely slept in days and were exhausted, Arthur. We just fell asleep. What's the problem with that?"

He wasn't fully convinced. "I hope it's only that. If anyone else would've found you yesterday can you imagine the rumors that would spread through Camelot. A princess and servant cannot be together. Do you like him, Lyanna?"

It felt as if all the air was being pushed out of her lungs. She fidgeted with her fingers. She had put quite a lot of thought into the last month and she knew she cared deeply about Merlin, but did she really see him like that? After their kiss she had surely begun to see him differently, but was it more than friendship? She didn't dare to say. "So what if I do. It's not like anything can ever come of it."

Arthur startled her by grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry to hear that, Lee. I wish that there was something I could to change our father's rules, but for now it is not permitted for you to wed Merlin."

"Wed Merlin?" she repeated ecstatic. She had kind of admitted her feelings for her brother's servant, and he was already talking about marriage. That was something she hadn't thought about at all. It already made her anxious and nervous and she felt panic rushing through her. "I—I uhm –"

"That's not how I meant it," Arthur tried to assure her placidly. "Let me rephrase that. It's just not allowed for a lady to be with a commoner," he cleared out.

Lyanna took in a deep breath. "I'm fully aware of that," she sighed slowly. "That's why nothing can ever come of it. I need to ignore my feelings. It's for the best. He's my friend and that's what he will be."

Arthur paused for a moment, looking into her eyes. "But can you?"

That was the most difficult question that Lyanna had. She cared greatly for Merlin. Often she caught herself thinking about him or meeting his gaze. Whenever she was around him she felt save, and cared for. Also warmth spread through her whenever she looked into his eyes. She knew that Merlin would risk his own life to save hers, and she would risk hers for him.

"You don't have to say anything. I can already tell by the look in your eyes that you like him a lot," Arthur said to interrupt her thoughts. "That's not something to be ashamed about. Look, you mustn't let father know about these feelings. It could put Merlin's life in danger."

Lyanna swallowed as her eyes got watery. Before she could respond Arthur pulled her into a tight embrace to comfort her, being the wonderful older brother that he was. It felt good to have someone like him on her side. "Can you not tell Merlin that you know about this?" Lyanna asked with a faint voice, muttering against his chest.

Arthur rubbed her back. "I thought it would be fun to tease him about it," he replied, hearing Lyanna chuckle in his arms. "I will not tell a soul," he promised her and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

The door opened and Merlin reentered the room, looking slightly shocked to see the princess crying in Arthur's arms. "What happened? Is everything alright?" he asked worried for her well-being. He feared that something had happened which had made her so upset.

"Lyanna just got a bit overwhelmed by the current events," Arthur lied to cover up for her. Lyanna sat up straight and rubbed the dried up tears away so that she looked decent again. Only her reddened cheeks refused to go to their normal state.

"I'm fine," she assured the warlock. "Can I come with you tomorrow morning to look for Anhora?" she asked her brother to change the subject before the warlock would suspect anything.

"Sure," Arthur assured her with a warm smile. "Get some rest."

Lyanna nodded and slowly stood up. Her body still felt kind of drained and it cost her effort to stay on her feet. "Merlin, please escort Lady Lyanna to her chambers because she can barely stand."

Merlin was already at her side and placed his arm around her shoulder so that she was leaning on to him with her weight. Her cheeks flushed at that. "Lyanna, if you haven't regained your strength in the morning I think it would be better for you to stay here and rest some more," Arthur called after them as they walked out of the door.

They were both quiet as they made their way towards Lyanna's chambers and Merlin gently put her on the edge of the bed. He sat down beside her, his hands folded in his lap. "What happened back there?" he asked concerned after a moment of silence. "Something is troubling you."

She licked her lips, thinking about what to say next. Of course he was able to see straight through her because he knew her better than anyone else, but she couldn't possibly tell him that Arthur was aware of her confused feelings. It was already bad that she had told him that she loved him in her sleep. She didn't even know what love was.

"It's nothing. I'm just overwhelmed by all that is going on," she lied, hoping to sound convincing. But she didn't.

Merlin turned his head towards her and looked directly into her hazel eyes, which always reminded him at the green hills back at Ealdor. "Can you please tell me the truth this time? I just want to make sure that you're doing alright."

Lyanna didn't know what to do. Her emotions were driving her insane and before she knew it she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. She looked into his eyes when she pulled back her head. "I'm alright," she assured him softly. _Damnit Lyanna!_

She cursed inwardly, shocked by her own actions. _Why on earth did I kiss the guy that I could never be together with?_ This would only make the situation more uncomfortable. She was more confused now than she was before. He should hate her right now and she expected that he would flee from her as fast as he could.

But instead of running away, Merlin cupped her face and his lips tenderly claimed Lyanna's. She froze at first, but kissed him back gently, and ignored her thoughts. Their kiss began slow but became more passionate with every passing second. Merlin's hands were on her hips, while Lyanna's hands roamed through his dark hair. Just like their first kiss they both felt their magic swirling around them, keeping them both close. His hands went to her waist as the kissed deepened. A hunger took over Lyanna. Both of them had secretly desired another kiss like this for quite some time.

They went on like this, swaying and kissing on her bed, for what seemed like hours. It was hours for them, but only minutes in reality. When they finally parted for air, Lyanna closed her eyes and melted into her favorite place against his chest. His scent had become so familiar to her, and it reminded her that she was safe. Merlin moved his head until their foreheads were pressed together, eyes locked with shadowed faces glowing in the most magical of ways.

"We shouldn't have done that," Lyanna said quietly once she had found her voice. "It's not right. It was a mistake."

Merlin tenderly caressed her cheek. "But it did feel right," he said to her, trying to convince her that they hadn't made a mistake. "Didn't you feel it?"

Lyanna pulled away, seeing the shock in his eyes. Her lips were swollen and her heart was racing insanely. "And that's why it can't happen again," she said flushed, climbing out of bed. "You should go." Even though it saddened her greatly they couldn't answer their feelings again. It was wrong.

The warlock slowly stood from the bed and headed to the door. He gave Lyanna a faint smile before he closed the door behind him, leaving the princess alone with her thoughts. Silence found its way back into the room and Lyanna let herself fall back onto her bed, and buried her head underneath the pillow, trying to forget what just had happened. Even though it was wrong what they had done, there was a part of her that wanted to scream. There was a grin on her lips that she couldn't shake off and she felt kind of giddy. At that moment Lyanna knew for certain that she was developing feelings for him. And that was the problem.

* * *

The following morning she woke up around dawn after only a few hours of sleep. She felt better than she had the previous day and changed into her favorite armour, with brown breeches. The sword that Arthur had given her for her birthday was sheathed in her scabbard. Once she was about to leave, Gwen entered her chambers. "Good morning," she greeted in her usual cheerful manner, which always brightened up Lyanna's mood, no matter what she was going through. "Where are you going if I may ask?"

"To seek the sorcerer that has casted this curse of Camelot," Lyanna informed her while she placed some extra daggers in her leather boots. Gwen smiled faintly as she observed her. "I'm just glad that thing between us are still the same."

"So am I," Gwen agreed warmly. "So if there are any other secrets that you want to share, I am perfectly able to keep my mouth shut." At that Lyanna giggled shyly. "There is something else, isn't there?" the servant assumed, noticing the hint of trouble in the princess eyes. "Please, it's not in my place to ask such things of you, My Lady."

Lyanna wondered if she should tell her friend what had happened last night, but she chose not. Her feelings needed to be kept secret in order to keep Merlin safe in case the truth would be revealed. "It's nothing, Gwen. But I thank you for your kindness," Lyanna said gratefully. "I shouldn't let Arthur waiting."

An hour later Lyanna was standing in the middle of the woods together with her brother and Merlin. They were looking closely in the forest for any sign of Anhora at the place where Arthur had killed the unicorn. Lyanna searched through thickets in the hope to find any tracks, but there weren't any.

"I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for," Merlin said doubtful as he walked around a bit.

"You're looking for footprints or broken branches. Anything that would indicate someone passed that…" Arthur tried to explain, but stopped in the middle of his sentence when he caught sight of Anhora. "Merlin! Lyanna! He's here!" He started to run in the direction where he had seen the cloaked man, leaving Lyanna and Merlin behind.

Without any hesitation the two sorcerers started to run after him, but Arthur had a head start. They didn't see which way the prince had ran off to, and they apparently ran in the wrong direction. They ended up deeper into the forest and Lyanna stopped running.

"We're going the wrong way," Lyanna stated, trying to catch her breath. She took in a deep breath. The only thing that she could think of was going back to the place where they had started so that they could start again. "We have to go back." She spun around, bumping into Merlin. Her eyebrows knitted together and she quickly walked past him.

He remained silent, but followed her nonetheless. They both felt the tension between them which needed to be resolved, but both chose to ignore it.

After a couple of minutes they found Arthur lying on the ground, panting. "What happened?" Lyanna asked concerned, kneeling beside him.

"I failed the second test."

By the time the three of them returned to Camelot they had found out that the remaining grain that they had stocked, had rotten. There was no food left thorough the whole of Camelot. If they didn't find a solution soon they would all starve to death. The next day Lyanna stood on the balcony of Arthur's chambers because they had to think of a solution to solve all this.

"They do not know yet there is worse to come," Arthur said worried as he leaned over the edge of the balcony.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Our father is going to stop distributing food to the people. They are to be left to starve. I had a chance to lift the curse. And I failed them," he said grim.

"You weren't to know you were being tested," Merlin tried to assure him.

His words had no effect on Arthur who continued to look down at the people bellow in the courtyard who was standing in a line to collect some food. "My people are starving. Camelot is on the verge of collapse. And it is all my doing."

Lyanna felt sad about her brother. She could tell how much this was hurting him and that he felt guilty for the downfall of the entire kingdom and would do anything in his powers to prevent that. There had to be something that they could do.

Arthur retreated back into his chambers, leaving the two sorcerers behind. "Maybe we can go back to the forest again to find Anhora," Lyanna suggested softly.

"We could ask him to test Arthur again so that he can prove himself a worthy prince," Merlin agreed with her. "We should go now before it's too late."

They didn't waste any time and hurried out of the castle. It was past noon when they were standing in the middle of the forest where they had been looking for the cloaked man the previous day. Lyanna was looking around for tracks again in the hope to find him. "Anhora!" Merlin shouted, clearly not in the mood to look for tracks. "Show yourself! Anhora!"

"Well, that's one way to look for him," Lyanna muttered, mostly to herself.

"You wanted to talk to me?" a voice asked.

Anhora had appeared and was standing in front of him. Lyanna exchanged a brief look with Merlin. "We've come to seek your help. The people of Camelot are starving. It won't be long before they will be dead," she said, trying to control her emotion.

"You must believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure to see your people suffering, Lady Lyanna," Anhora responded emotionless.

"If it pains you, put an end to it," Merlin suggested.

Anhora's face went blank. "It is not in my power to lift the curse."

Lyanna bit her bottom lip. "Perhaps it is possible to give Arthur another chance. He has accepted it his responsibility, and he prove himself worthy to lift the curse if you can give him once more chance," she pleased desperately.

"You two have faith in Arthur?" Anhora asked slightly shocked.

Both Merlin and Lyanna nodded in union. "I trust him with my life," Merlin clarified. That was something that surprised Lyanna as much as Anhora. She knew that the warlock saw Arthur as a friend, but had no idea that he trusted him like that. Of course she should've known because he had saved his life a couple of times.

"Arthur must go to the Labyrinth of Gedref. There, he will face a final test. If he fails, there is no hope. The curse will destroy Camelot," Anhora announced while he kept teleporting to different places around them.

He then disappeared completely. "Wait! What kind of test will he face?" Merlin asked what they both wanted to know.

"That is for Arthur alone to discover," they heard Anhora say clearly inside their minds. Silence found its way back to the forest and they both were in lighter spirits than before. There was still a chance to stop the curse.

"We have to tell, Arthur, come on," Lyanna said and grabbed Merlin's wrist to pull him along with her as the two of them ran back to Camelot. They found Arthur pacing in his chamber, looking for an answer to solve all this. "We spoke to Anhora. He is willing to give you another test. You have to travel to the Labyrinth of Gedref."

Arthur's face lightened up and he lifted his sister up from the ground and twirled her around, before putting her back on the ground again while he kept laughing. "How did you two manage that?" he wanted to know.

She was a bit flushed from that sudden action. "We thought it was for the best to ask Anhora to give you another chance," Merlin said in her place. Arthur immediately started to pack for his upcoming travel so that he could leave at once. Once he was finished Merlin helped him into his armour. "Let us come with you. You don't know what form of test you will take. We may be able to help." Lyanna shot a side-glance to Merlin who remained silence.

"You two are not coming. I brought this curse upon Camelot. I'm gonna be the one to lift it, or die trying," Arthur responded, putting on his gloves.

"Alright, how does you dying help anyone?" Lyanna asked from the other side of the room. "You're the future King of Camelot!"

"I'll die knowing I did everything I can," Arthur said, heading towards the door. He grabbed his belongings as he did.

"We're coming with you," Merlin said. He was determined to help out and walked after him.

Arthur halted and turned around. "Merlin, you are to stay here with Lyanna, and help the people as best you can. Is that understood?"

They knew that it was for the best not to argue with Arthur any further. He was determined to solve this problem alone because it was his fault that the people are suffering. They watched through the window and saw Arthur riding across the courtyard.

"We have to follow him," Lyanna said after a moment. "I know the way to the Labyrinth of Gedref. It shouldn't take us long to get there. Can you fetch the horses while I gather some supplies?"

Merlin nodded gratefully. "You have no idea how pleased I am to hear you say that." His eyes twinkled brightly as he said that and he stormed out of the chamber. Lyanna went to her own chamber to change her riding dress into some armour and then hurried to the kitchen where she put some loafs of bread into a small satchel. She even gathered some water skins before hurried towards the courtyard where Merlin was already waiting for her.

She quickly mounted Lumiere, who shorted softly as she held onto the reigns. They both galloped out of the courtyard, leaving Camelot behind them. "Why on earth have you ever been to the labyrinth before?" Merlin wondered as they rode through the forest.

"I've never been inside the labyrinth," Lyanna clarified in a friendly manner. "I came across it during a few hunting trips a few years pass. There aren't many stories known about the maze. I have no idea what the last test can possibly be. Maybe he's going to let Arthur wander across the maze until he finds his way out of it. We will find out soon enough."

It didn't take long until they caught up with Arthur when they left the forest behind. They had to keep a safe distance from him so that the prince wouldn't be aware that they were following him. They had to slow down their pace. After a few hours they had found the labyrinth which was established on the foot of two mountains. A few branches hung over the labyrinth, making everything look grimmer.

Lyanna and Merlin dismounted their horses and tied them to a nearby tree while they saw that Arthur had already entered the labyrinth. They hastily followed him. Lyanna unsheathed her sword and drew in a deep breath. None of them had any idea what they could run into. Anything was possible in here.

"Let's try this way," Merlin suggested. They walked straight when they had reached a crossing. Lyanna didn't doubt Merlin at all and she followed the warlock without question, surely because she would've chosen the same route herself. The two of them were more alike than she thought.

This place made Lyanna anxious who hated not being able which way to turn. She desperately wanted to get out of this maze and hoped that they were close to the end after a while of wandering in silence.

"I can hear footsteps," Lyanna said after a while. Merlin hadn't heard anything. "Arthur is nearby." That sure gave them the hope to keep going. Maybe Arthur was close to the exit.

Lyanna kept following Merlin the whole time, not arguing with him once. A part of her felt as if he was angry at her for what had happened the other day, and she didn't want to upset him anymore. The tension between them still hadn't disappeared.

They quickened up their pace in the hope to catch up with Arthur. Unfortunately they went the wrong way a couple of times, which only slowed them down. They kept on going for another moment until they found Anhora in the labyrinth. "You said Arthur would face a test," Merlin started, visibly irritated. "And here you are, preparing a trap for him."

Was this really his plan all along? Lyanna covered her mouth underneath her hands as she looked at the cloaked man in shock. "This trap isn't for Arthur. It's for you," Anhora explained calmly. "**_Tilnávis,_**" he chanted and Lyanna lost her unconsciousness and fell limp in Merlin's arms.

"Stop this nonsense!" Merlin cried out, trying to contain his emotions. He couldn't let Lyanna get hurt. "Take me. But please. Don't hurt her. I beg you."

A brief smile touched Anhora's lips. "You care for the princess," he assumed dryly. "Don't worry. You will join her. **_Gehæftan_**." Vines appeared out of nowhere and trapped Merlin who couldn't escape from its grip. He was stuck.

Anhora used a spell to lift Lyanna in the air so that she was levitating after him as he pulled Merlin after him and out of the labyrinth. They had reached a beach. Here stood a small table with two chairs. On the table stood two goblets filled with liquid.

The vines disappeared and Merlin had to sit at the table while Lyanna was now trapped in veins. Her mouth was covered by some fabric which made it impossible for her to speak. Slowly she regained consciousness and took in her surroundings, wondering where she was and what was going on.

"Don't worry," Anhora assured her.

Lyanna could only watch at Merlin who also looked out of his element like her. They all feared a trap for Arthur and feared for his live.

After a few minutes Arthur walked out of the labyrinth and headed over to them. He was shocked to found his servant there at the table. "Merlin?" he asked perplexed.

"I'm sorry," the warlock apologized.

As Arthur turned to look at Anhora he got aware of his sister's presence who was wrapped in veins beside the cloaked man. She wiggled a bit, trying to free herself from the veins, but it was impossible. He heard her muffled voice, but couldn't hear what she was saying. "Let them go! I'll take your test, but not till they are released," Arthur offered honorably. Lyanna could only smile at that.

"That is not possible. Merlin and the Lady Lyanna are part of the test. Please sit. If you refuse the test, you will have failed and Camelot will be destroyed," Anhora explained to him as if it was the most normal case in the world.

Arthur hesitated for a second before he sat down at the table, placing his sword before him. "I thought I told you two to stay at home," he said, eying his servant for a brief second before looking at Anhora. "Let's get on with it."

"There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drunk, but each of you may only drink from a single goblet," Anhora informed them.

The prince looked irritated. "What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?"

"What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted. If not, the princess will die." Lyanna's eyes widened at that, but it didn't matter. If the curse didn't lift she would die anyway. There was nothing that she could do to help them. It was up to them. She could only sit back and she distasted it.

"Let's think about this," Merlin said once they started to think of an idea to solve this problem.

"If it's poisoned, you'll die," Arthur remembered him.

"And if it's not, then you'll have to drink from yours, and you'll die. There must be a way around it."

They both looked intently at the goblets before them. "It is perfectly simple. One of us has to die. We have to find a way to determine which goblet has the poison. And then I'll drink it," Arthur said.

"I'll be the one to drink it," Merlin offered.

Lyanna watched them curiously. They were both willing to give their lives to help others, which made her kind of emotional. She could only think of them as brave men. She didn't want to see any of them die. They were far too important to her. This was too dreadful to watch. A part of her though of closing her eyes until this entire ordeal was over, but she wanted to see what choice they would make and if they would survive.

"This is my doing. I'm drinking it," Arthur objected calmly.

"It's more important that you live. You're the future King. I'm just a servant," the warlock cleared up.

"There is no time to be a hero, Merlin. It really doesn't suit you. Besides Lyanna is going to hurt me if something happens to you." Arthur looked at his younger sister for a brief second and tensed up.

Merlin ignored the last comment and sighed. "What if I drink from mine first, and if that's not poisoned, I will the drink yours?" he suggested wisely.

"He said each of us is only allowed to drink from one single goblet. I had no idea you were so keen to die for me," Arthur said slightly shocked.

Merlin folded his hands before his chin as he thought hardly. "Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself."

Arthur snorted. "I'm glad you are here, Merlin." He then looked at his sister who looked hopefully at him and sighed. "I will get you out of here," he promised.

Merlin's face brightened. "I've got it," he said relieved. "Right, we pour all the liquid into one goblet and then we can be sure it is poisoned. Then all the liquid can be drunk, and it will be from a single goblet."

Lyanna was impressed that Merlin had come up with that idea. "You never cease to surprise me. You're a lot smarter than you look," Arthur said proudly.

"Is that actually a compliment?" Merlin asked playfully. Lyanna noticed the hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Look out!" Arthur yelled and pointed to something behind his servant, who turned his head to look around. Meanwhile Arthur took two goblets and poured all of the liquid into one of them, holding it to drink.

"No! I will drink it!" Merlin objected heavily..

"As if I'd let you," the prince muttered.

Merlin shot a brief glance at Lyanna who had tears stinging in her eyes. "You can't die. This isn't your destiny."

"It seems you're wrong again."

"Listen to me!" Merlin pleaded desperately.

"You know me, Merlin. I never listen to you." He toasted to Merlin before drinking the goblet. Lyanna screamed her brother's name in pure fear and angst. He couldn't die! She wriggled restlessly, trying to free herself in the hope that she could save him. But she still wasn't able to free herself.

"No!" Merlin cried out. "What have you done?" Arthur fell off his chair and lost his consciousness. A feeling of anger and emptiness washed through Lyanna who could only look at her brother while tears streamed freely down her cheek. Arthur had sacrificed his own life to save that of his people! If she wasn't tied up she would've taken the goblet herself, but it was too late now. He was gone. Her brother was dead.

Merlin rushed to Arthur and tried to shake the prince awake. "Arthur. Arthur. Come on," he begged. It was incredibly painful for Lyanna to watch the two of them like that. "Come on. No… Come on." He turned to Anhora. "Please. Please! Just… let me take his place!"

"This was Arthur's test, not yours," Anhora responded incredibly calm.

"You've killed him!" Merlin shouted angrily. "I was meant to protect him!"

"He is not dead," Anhora cleared up. Lyanna looked at the man in utter shock, wondering if he was pulling a joke on her. "He's merely consumed on a sleeping draft. He will come round shortly."

Anhora lifted the spell which caused the vines to disappear which freed Lyanna. "You did what? Was this all a joke?" she asked visibly upset.

"A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you are also pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours. He had proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted."

Lyanna needed a moment to let all this information sink. The curse had lifted! That meant that the people of Camelot would survive. And her brother would live! Lyanna felt an enormous weight fall from her shoulders as she scrambled onto her feet and pulled Merlin into a tight embrace.

"Everything is alright now. It's okay," he kept repeating for a couple of minutes as he held her closely. Her head was buried in the nuzzle of his neck as his hands were wrapped around her waist. There wasn't a place in the world where she felt safer than in his arms. It was something that she couldn't explain, but it felt nice.

Slowly she pulled back after a moment and placed a chaste kiss to his cheeks. "Thank you. We should get Arthur back to his horse," she suggested.

Once Arthur had regained his consciousness they had left the coast. Hours had gone by until the three of them ride into Camelot and dismounted their horses. They had informed Arthur what had happened and he was over the moon, especially now that he saw townsfolk carrying around platters joyously.

"Merlin, Arthur, Lyanna, there is good news!" Gaius said ecstatic. He was carrying an eggplant in his arms. "The crops are growing once again! They are bringing in the harvest!"

Lyanna felt warm spreading inside her chest. Her brother had done it. The curse had been lifted and everything was looking positive again for the people of Camelot.

Uther approached his children. "Is this your doing? Is the sorcerer dead?"

"He won't be troubling us anymore," Lyanna assured him.

"Good." Uther patted his son on his shoulder. "Make sure the grain reserves are re-stoked."

"I'll see to it. There's something we must do first," Arthur assured their father.

Lyanna tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, turning to her brother. She didn't have to ask him what his plan was because she already knew.

* * *

Another hour had gone by and the three of them were in the forest once more.

Arthur placed the unicorn's horn in a burial mound of stones, which Merlin had built. "I should never have ended your life. I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely.

They began laying stones over the grave to cover it up. Merlin looked up and spotted something. "Look!" he pointed with a trembling finger.

The Pendragon twins turned around and saw a unicorn in the middle of the clearing. It truly was a sight to behold. "When he who kills a unicorn proves himself to be pure of heart, the unicorn will live again," Lyanna spoke in awe.

And in that moment they all believed that there was still good left in this world and that they had to fight to see it. But it was definitely worth it.

* * *

**And that's the end of this chapter! I wanted to let you know that this kiss was another spur of the moment. So far Merlin already knows that he sees Lyanna as more than a friend, while Lyanna herself is just confused by her feelings because he is her best friend and she's scared that she's so attracted to him. I cannot say much about this, but I can say that's it's going to take a bit before they figure out what's really going on between them. **


	13. To Kill The King

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Bless everyone who takes the time to read this story! I love all of you with my entire heart and I wish that I could hug you all for it!

**Lbunn: Hooray! Spread the happiness! I'm glad that you like Myanna so much ;-) Thanks for reviewing.**

**KattieWatsonHolmes: Oh wow she sounds like a sweet woman haha. She must've been very terrified because of that. Oh someone honestly recorded that tackle hug of you and you brother? That's so amazing haha. That way you can watch it when you miss him haha ;) I actually can't help but grin when you said that you've squealed again. It pleases me more than you know to read that you love this story. I hope the amount of Merlin and Lyanna is enough in this chapter for you. AND OMG HE ASKED?! DJKSFKSD! CONGRATULATIONS DEAR WITH YOUR ENGAGEMENT! Excuse me for the caps, but I couldn't contain my excitement. I'm so happy for you! :D *gives you a big bear hug* Lots of love for you, dear.**

**Ravenclaw Heronstairs: Thank you for your review! I'm glad that you like it so much.**

**Guest: I know that you're still busy with reading my fanfic as I'm writing this, but I wanted to thank you for all the reviews that you've posted. I was honestly flattered by all the notifications when I woke up this morning. That was the main reason why I decided to update early again ;) I hope you'll love the rest of the story as well.**

**A/N- **I've made another banner because I wasn't satisfied with the old one. I hope this one is better.

**Please enjoy this new chapter!**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter thirteen: To Kill the King**

A soft summer breeze played with Lyanna's blonde hair as the princess stood on the balcony, overlooking Camelot. She was waiting for her father to get ready for a horseback ride together with Morgana.

"And they say that women takes ages to prepare," Morgana muttered softly, trying to hold back her laughter. Lyanna giggled softly at that, not wanting to draw any attention to them.

As they waited there for the King Lyanna spotted a familiar figure in the courtyard, heading towards the castle. It was Merlin and it seemed that he was in a hurry. "I'm sure that Arthur has ordered him for the most foolish errand," Lyanna assumed as she watched the warlock entering the castle.

"When has he not?" Morgana responded in return. Their conversation was interrupted when Uther stepped onto the balcony to announce to them that he was ready to go. Together they headed to the courtyard and mounted their horses before leaving to the forest. It was a lovely day out in the woods and they were having a wonderful time riding together, something which they tried to do as often as they could.

Uther told them some stories about his younger life and they listened to what he had to say. It was a side that he hadn't shared with Lyanna before, and she was glad that he was willing to share that with her now. She enjoyed spending some time with her father and Morgana. It was a nice way to get out of Camelot once and a while. But she couldn't stay away from this place for long. This was her home.

"Race you back," Uther challenged them and kicked his steed into a brisk canter. Lyanna exchanged a brief look with Morgana before they followed suit in gallop. They were in merry spirits and they laughed cheerfully as they rode back swiftly to Camelot. That afternoon Lyanna spent time with Gaius creating some potions for the people in the lower town. Nothing ordinary had happened in Camelot for quite some time and things were going well.

As she and Gaius were handing the potions to the townspeople Lyanna noticed Gwen and her father, Tom. He was holding up a colorful dress which he gave to his daughter, who looked ecstatic. Lyanna could only smile fondly at that because Tom was an honorable man and turned her attention back to the villagers.

"You truly are a gift to the people of Camelot, My Lady," a woman said gratefully when Lyanna had prescribed her son an herb that should stop his illness. "We cannot thank you enough for what you've done. And not just for us, but for all."

That surely surprised Lyanna, who looked flushed. "I'm only doing what every other person would do," she replied humbly.

The woman's face lightened up. She was around forty years old with auburn curls. "Well, you should be rewarded for it. Here, I want you to have this." She handed the princess a golden pendant with a black gem on it.

"I cannot take this," Lyanna objected puzzled. "It's too much and it's probably worth a lot –"

"Don't worry about that. You deserve it, My Lady" she assured her with a bright smile.

Lyanna blinked a few times, unsure what to say to a reward like this. "Thank you." The woman surprised her even more by pulling her into a brief embrace. Since she had decided to help Gaius some more she felt as if she had truly bonded with the people. She helped them out in the best way that she could and sometimes they rewarded her with gifts like that. Surely Lyanna didn't do it for presents because she could afford stuff like that herself. She only wanted to help them.

That evening Lyanna ate dinner with her father, Morgana and her brother. She listened closely to what they all wanted to share, and felt pleased to be surrounded by a family. She cared greatly for all of them. Life hadn't been better here in some while.

During dinner Lyanna caught Merlin staring at her a couple of times and she had to do her absolute best not to smile because that would certainly draw the attention of others. Things between them hadn't changed. They hadn't kissed each other again since last time, and they had decided it was for the best. The tension between them had resolved and they were still great friends and spent lots of time together.

It was late in the evening when nearly the entire castle was already fast asleep and Lyanna was pacing through her room in nothing but her nightgown. Her mind was still too vivid, which made it impossible for her to catch some sleep. Her body was still slightly trembling from the nightmare she just had. She touched the newly received pendant and sighed before a soft knock came on the door.

Quickly she hurried towards the door and opened only to see the warlock standing before her. "Merlin," she gasped perplexed and pulled him into her chamber before one of the guards would see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was walking through the hall when I saw that there was still light burning in your chamber so I thought I would check up on you to make sure everything is alright," he explained softly and walked past her.

She licked her bottom lip. "I'm fine," she assured him. "Just had some nightmares. Did Arthur only just release you for tonight? It's already late!"

"He did, but it's alright. Is something troubling you that you want to talk about? I'm here to listen to you if that's necessary," he offered kindly, being the wonderful friend that he was.

"It's alright," she responded and briefly looked at her reflection in the mirror and realized that she was already wearing her nightgown, which caused her cheeks to flush. Surely Merlin did his best not to look at her outfit, and kept his gaze fixed upon her face. "You should get some sleep yourself."

"Not until you've fallen asleep. Please, go to bed. I'll stay here and watch over you," he insisted.

She was confused that he was kind to her. "No, I really can't –"

Merlin didn't take no for an answer and gently grabbed her hands to gesture her towards the bed. He helped her to lie down into the bed and was about to sit down on a chair next to the bed.

"Only if you'll lie down next to me," she objected and pulled him into the bed next to her. He was lying on the other side of the bed with his hands folded on his chest. Lyanna resisted the urge to crawl closer to him and settle in his arms. _He's your friend. Stop thinking like that!_ "Can you tell me more about yourself?' she asked softly. "I don't even know when your anniversary is."

Merlin looked down at her. "It was last week."

Her gaze met his. "Why didn't you tell me about it? I could have gotten something for you," she complained.

"It's not worth celebrating," he simply cleared up.

"Every birthday is worth celebrating because you'll never know when it's your last." She placed her head on the pillow. "If you don't want to talk about yourself, can you please tell me a story then?"

He paused for a moment while he kept thinking about what he could tell. He didn't know many stories. "This is a story my mother used to tell me when I was little," he said, smiling back at the thought. "Once there was a kingdom, in which the dragons roamed free in the sky," he began, scotching a bit closer. Lyanna closed her eyes as she buried her head deeper into the pillow, making herself more comfortable.

As he talked Lyanna listened intently to the baritone voice he used to tell his story. She didn't listen to what he said, mostly to the comfort in his voice. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in what he had to say, but she was simply too exhausted to pay attention. It didn't take long before she drifted into a dreamless sleep, feeling more at ease than she had ever done. Merlin noticed the change in her breathing and smiled with content at her and closed his eyes himself. He listened to her deep and steady breathing until he fell to sleep not long after that.

For hours they lay there like that, fast asleep. They woke up when they felt something stirring, like a powerful magic that was being used. Lyanna needed a moment to adjust to her surroundings and realized she had fallen fast asleep in Merlin's arms. She must've snuggled against him during her sleep. She blushed heavily because she had never been this close with a man before. For some reason it felt nice to have him those close, but she quickly shook those thoughts away.

"Did you feel that to?" she asked confused, wondering if she had imagined it. He nodded. "What time is it?" She stretched herself a little, her body feeling kind of sore from lying in one position for a time.

"It's still a few hours before dawn. Too early to wake up yet," he retorted, putting his head back onto the pillow. He had never slept this good before, even though they had woken up. This bed was like heaven compared to what he usually slept on, and having Lyanna safely in his arms made him feel even better. He had no intention of ruining this moment. He just hoped that she wasn't able to see him blushing in the dark of the room.

Lyanna on the other hand had. She wriggled herself from his grasp and sat up straight. "What do you think it was?" she asked unsure, looking into the darkness.

"I don't know," Merlin responded doubtfully. "Get back to sleep. We can ask Gaius about it in the morning."

Before Lyanna could do anything there came a loud knock on the door. Merlin immediately leaped out of the bed and sat on the chair beside the bed to not cause any suspicion. "Enter," Lyanna said once she lying by herself in her bed, feeling much colder than she had done a minute ago.

The door were slammed open and Gwen stormed into her chambers. At the sight of Lyanna and Merlin in the same room cheeks flushed red and she looked nervous. "I'm sorry, My Lady. I didn't mean to intrude."

"Gwen," Lyanna called unsure, jumping out of the bed. She made her way to the servant girl. "What's wrong? You can tell me anything. Please."

"My father's been arrested," Gwen told them. Lyanna exchanged a brief look with Merlin who quickly rose from the chair.

"Arrested? What for?" Merlin asked confused. Tom was an honorable man who had never done something wrong. He had served all his life as a blacksmith, and he was a good one.

"They say he was making weapons for a sorcerer! They're charging him with treason!"

Lyanna quickly pulled her friend into a tight embrace, trying to reassure her. "I'm so sorry, Gwen. I don't believe any of this. I'm going to speak with my father to see what he knows. It will be alright," she assured her. She couldn't let any harm come to Gwen, nor to Tom.

She hurried out of her chamber in nothing but her nightgown and made her way to the hedgehog chamber where she found her father, Arthur and Morgana gathered. "Treason!?" Morgana asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, Morgana, treason," Uther said calmly. He drank from a goblet. "The blacksmith was consorting with a known enemy."

Lyanna crossed her arms. "What enemy?"

"Tauren," Arthur replied. He was leaning onto the table. "The leader of a band of renegade sorcerers sworn to bring down the King." She wondered what business Tom could have with this man.

"Where is Tauren now?" she asked.

"He escaped."

"Well, then how can you be sure?" Morgana asked, walking towards the table.

"Because Arthur saw him with his own eyes," Uther cleared up. He started to pace as he took another sip from the goblet.

Lyanna's eyes met those of Morgana. She was pleased to see that the two of them were on the same side with this. "Well, even if the man is who you say he is, you can't sentence Tom to death for just being seen with him? There is no crime in that."

Uther met her gaze, obviously not pleased with her speaking to him in such manner. He didn't understood why they were caring so much for a simple blacksmith. "We have reason to believe he was forging weapons for Tauren."

"Rubbish," Morgana spat out. "He would never do such a thing."

"Every man has a price."

Arthur slid a lump of gold across the table. "Found this on the blacksmith."

"So he was paid! He's a blacksmith. He could've been paid for shoeing Tauren's horse!" Morgana once again defended Tom's honor. She knew him better than Lyanna did and wanted to fight for his freedom.

"In gold?" Uther asked.

"This is madness! You condemn a man with no proof!"

Lyanna watched the two bicker from a distance and kept close to her brother who didn't want any part of this as well. "I have enough proof," Uther said as he walked away.

Morgana's turned to the prince. "Arthur! Have you nothing to say?"

Arthur briefly looked at Lyanna. "Father, the blacksmith committed a crime, but we don't know for certain he meant treason."

"No. You're right. Nothing's certain," the King agreed with his son. "Save one time." He pointed with his finger. "The law stands or this kingdom falls."

"But the law must give him a fair trial, Father," Lyanna objected, not wanting to make him angry.

"He'll get a fair trial, and he'll be found guilty, 'cause that's what he is," Uther responded, growing tired to this conversation.

"You execute Gwen's father, and I will never forgive you," Morgana said slowly to make sure that he had heard her words. Lyanna could tell that she meant them. The King's ward stormed out. "Never."

Once Morgana was gone, Lyanna spoke. "Maybe we should investigate further. It's not fair to condemn an innocent man."

"Tauren slept somewhere, he fed somewhere. Find anyone who helped him in any way. They must be punished. The people must see the laws of Camelot are not to be trifled with," Uther ordered as he walked out.

Lyanna sighed irritated before she stormed out as well. This conversation was already weighing heavily inside her mind. She entered the physician chambers where she found Gwen waiting for her with Gaius and Merlin. "What did your father say?" she asked as soon as she caught sight of her.

"He won't see reason," she said softly, being ashamed to say such a thing to her friend. She had wanted to help her out, but there was no way that she could change her father's mind. He was far too stubborn. "I'm sorry, Gwen."

"You shouldn't be," Gwen responded. There were tears dried up on her cheek. "You did everything that you could."

Lyanna pulled her into a brief embrace. "I can only give you some time with your father so that you can talk to him." She hooked her arm through that of Gwen and guided her through the palace. While Gwen went to see her father she waited in the dungeon together with Gaius and Merlin for her to return.

She came back after a couple of minutes. It was surprise to see that Gwen wasn't in tears and was trying to look strong. Lyanna sure admired that in her friend and wished that she was only half as strong as her maid.

"What did he say?" Merlin asked as she walked up towards them.

"He said Tauren came to him at the forge, offered to pay him a fortune for his help, not to make weapons, for an experiment or something," Gwen enlightened them.

"What kind of experiment?"

"Tauren didn't say. But he used some kind of stone… some kind of magic…"

All the sorcerers looked at one another for a brief moment. "Come now, Gwen. You should get some rest," Lyanna kindly offered and wrapped her arm around her maid. "You can sleep if you want."

"She can sleep in my chamber," Merlin suggested, being humble.

They walked back towards the physician chambers. While Merlin and Gaius remained there, Lyanna made sure that Gwen was alright. She looked after her friend and stayed with her until she had finally fallen asleep before she returned to the others. "She's sleeping now," Lyanna announced as she walked down the small steps.

Merlin shook his head. "I don't understand it. What would a sorcerer want with Tom?"

"His forge, Merlin," Gaius responded. "It's the finest in the kingdom." Their voices were almost whispers because Gwen was fast asleep in the other room and they didn't want to wake her up.

"You think Tom was lying? You think he really was making weapons?" Merlin wanted to know. Lyanna paid no part in their conversation and walked to the kitchen where she grabbed a mug of water.

"No, I don't," Gaius answered. "When Tom was arrested, they found the gold on him. And for what Gwen was saying, Tauren's experiment bears all the hallmarks of alchemy."

Lyanna looked at them. "But alchemy is impossible, isn't it?" she wondered. It seemed highly unlikely that he could do such a thing. Perhaps there was another explanation for all this.

"To change the very nature of one thing to another has defeated all who have tried. But if you use used magic," the physician said mysteriously.

"Do you think that's what woke us up?" Merlin questioned.

"It is possible, I suppose."

* * *

Hours later Merlin had fallen asleep against a pillar inside his room as he and Lyanna kept close in case Gwen would wake up from her sleep. Lyanna had her head placed onto his shoulder and he had his arm wrapped around her waist. He woke up when he felt the same strong feeling of magic as he had that night. He looked down at Lyanna's whose face remained peaceful, as she even cradled closer.

This was something Merlin surely could get used to. He liked having her near and in his arms. There was nothing that gave him more pleasure than that. It felt as if there were butterflies flying in his stomach as he looked at her and her lips, which he really longed to kiss again. He pushed the thought out of his head. No he couldn't. She was a friend of his, and that was all that she would ever be. It pained him, but he had to make sure that she wouldn't find it out.

He heard footsteps in the other room and carefully tried to shove Lyanna aside so that she was turned the other side. At that moment the King's ward entered his room. "Morgana," he greeted unsure.

Morgana looked at Gwen that was sleeping in his bed. "How is she?" she asked concerned.

"She's doing okay. Lyanna and I have stayed with her," Merlin clarified. Morgana now looked at Lyanna and smiled warmly at the princess.

"We should let them rest," she suggested.

Merlin whispered a 'yeah' and followed Morgana out of the room, and let the door open a bit. Meanwhile Lyanna was slowly waking up and listened to their conversation in the other room. "Morgana, have you spoken to Uther? He must realize this is a mistake. Whatever Tom was doing, it wasn't plotting against the King."

"I know that. Of course I do. But Uther… Uther only sees enemies."

"But Tom is the most gentle soul I've ever met."

"But he was seen with Tauren, and that makes him an enemy," Morgana stated sadly. She turned to leave.

"Then…" Merlin started. Morgana stopped to face him. "…there's little hope?"

"There's no hope, Merlin. None at all."

Morgana left the physician chambers and Merlin sighed, not knowing what to do to make this situation any better. Meanwhile Lyanna had fully woken up and was now standing next to the door. "Is it alright if I retreat to my chambers for a bit and get changed?" Lyanna asked, realizing that she still wearing her nightgown. She didn't matter that Merlin saw it, but she didn't want the entire castle to see her in it.

"Sure. I'll stay with Gwen until she wakes up," he responded. "You can go train with Arthur if you want to."

"Thank you," she replied gratefully and placed a kiss on his cheek before she hurried out of the door. She walked through the castle, hoping that she wouldn't run into many people as she went, but unfortunately the corridors were filled with servant and guards at this hour.

Lyanna entered her chamber and quickly changed her nightgown for a white blouse, with long sleeves and a long purple skirt. She put a black belt around her waist. The princess looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw how much she had changed during the last months. Her hair fell down like a golden waterfall on her back. Her hazel eyes stood alert and she looked older.

She weaved her hair into a braid and then hurried out of her chambers again. Today she wasn't in the mood for training with Arthur and the knights. She had more important stuff to worry about. For example she had to find a suitable anniversary present for Merlin and had to think of an excuse to kidnap the warlock from Arthur this afternoon. But what could she possibly give him?

Lyanna had no idea and wandered through town looking for Gaius, who she found in the lower town treating some patients. "Lyanna dear, is everything well?" Gaius asked concerned when he saw her approaching.

"I'm quite well, thank you," she assured him placidly. "Although I'm looking for a present to give to Merlin. The clotpole didn't tell me that it was his anniversary last week so I still want to give him something. Only I have no idea what. I was wondering if you could help me out."

Gaius was pleased to see that something serious wasn't troubling her and smiled with content at the princess who he saw as his own daughter. "I can assure you that he doesn't require something expensive. What did he give you for your anniversary?"

"A spell book," Lyanna whispered, making sure that no one heard them.

"Alright, then we need to think of something else. Have you looked at the market? Maybe one of the stalls has something that catches your eye," he suggested.

She hooked her arm through that of Gaius and together the two physicians' walked through town until they reached the market street. They looked at the different stalls to see what they had for sale, but nothing really interested Lyanna. She wanted something special for Merlin. Then she realized something. "I'm sorry that I'm wasting your time, Gaius, but I still have a bracelet from my mother that I can give to him," she said to him.

Gaius smiled at her. "You never waste my time, dear."

She smiled delighted. "Thank you. I should go see Arthur so that I can steal Merlin from this afternoon."

"Where are you taking him?" Gaius called after her.

"Lake Avalon," she answered, grinning brightly. "I should prepare a lunch as well. I've got to dash now. I'll see you later!" She hurried through the market street until she reached the training ground where her brother was still training with his knights. He kept a close eye as two of knights battled together. "Am I interrupting you?"

Arthur looked up at her. "Ah, Lyanna. No, you're never interrupting. How is Guinevere?"

"Gwen is alright. She was still sleeping when I left. Anyway I came to ask you a question," she started, fidgeting with her mother's necklace.

"And what may that be?"

"Can I borrow Merlin from you this afternoon –"

The prince knitted his eyebrows together. "Borrow him? And what may be the reason for that?" She opened her mouth to come up with an excuse, but Arthur was first. "Are you going to take him on a date?"

"What?" Lyanna asked bewildered. "No! No. It's not that. I mean it was his anniversary last week and he only told me about it yesterday so I want to do something nice for him and –"

"It's fine, Lee," Arthur assured her, grinning. "Although it does sound like a date to me."

Her already big hazel eyes widened. "It's not a date!" She was a bit tensed and exhaled deeply in the hope to calm down, but her burning cheeks gave her away.

Arthur laughed at that. "Don't worry. I'm just teasing you, Lee. You can borrow Merlin from me this afternoon for your date." Lyanna sighed at that which only amused him. "But only if you do something for me."

She crossed her arms. "What do you want, Arthur?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "That you'll help me with training the knight's tomorrow morning. I could use an extra pair of eyes and you're quite good with a sword. So what do you say? Do have we have a deal?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed cheerfully. That was the least that she could do in return. "Thank you, Arthur. I knew you would understand." Lyanna placed a chaste kiss on Arthur's cheek before she hurried away. When she returned to the physician chambers she found Merlin still standing there, getting ready to serve Arthur for the rest of the day. "Merlin, how is Gwen?"

"She woke up not too long ago, feeling a bit better already. I've sent her home for the day," he answered. "I'm on my way to Arthur now."

That was a relief for the princess to hear. "Can I ask you something?"

"You're up to something," Merlin deduced with narrowed eyes. "You're grinning like a child." She bit her bottom lip, trying to get the smile off her face. "Your eyes are also twinkling. What are you up to?"

Lyanna was stunned that she couldn't keep something from him. "Asking you to go for a ride with me," she replied innocent, still having that grin on her face.

Merlin looked doubtful. "I – I don't know. I think Arthur –"

"That's already taken care of. I've borrowed you from Arthur for this afternoon," she responded ecstatic. "Please say yes? Else I've arranged all that for nothing."

"Arranged? What have you arranged? I thought you –"

"Nothing," she quickly supplied and licked her bottom lip. "Nothing. It's just a simple ride through the forest."

Merlin gaze refused to let go off her. "And what is the reason for all this?"

"Merlin! Stop looking for a reason. Why can't I ask you to come along with me as friends?"

"Alright. Alright. I'll come with you," he told her, because he knew that she wasn't going to let this rest. She was a Pendragon after all and they were stubborn people that never gave up until they got what they wanted.

Lyanna's face brightened up like the sun. "This is why you're one of my favorite persons. Can you fetch the horses and meet me at the courtyard? I need to get a few things."

She didn't give him any time to answer, but just ran out of the room. In the palace kitchen she gathered some food for a picnic and put them inside a satchel. She also went to her chambers where she grabbed her spell book just in case she needed it. She put a few extra supplies in her satchel and hurried to the courtyard where Merlin was indeed waiting for her. She mounted Lumiere while he mounted his own horse.

They rode away in a brisk canter, leaving Camelot behind. Quickly they entered the forest. It was a lovely day in late summer and probably the last one that they would have this year before autumn would arrive.

"Where are we going by the way?" Merlin asked after a few minutes.

"You'll see," she replied mysteriously. "It might take a while to get there, so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery as we go there."

She heard him laugh beside her. "You sure are something special."

As they rode they told each other some more stories about their past, and they listened intently to what the other had to say. It never grew boring to hear Merlin speak about his childhood in Ealdor, as did her stories about her life with her brother.

After about thirty minutes they had finally reached their destination. Bright sunlight danced on the surface of the water like sparkling diamonds. They tied their horses to a nearby tree as they walked towards the lake. "Why did you bring me to Lake Avalon?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Because I love it here. It's so peaceful," Lyanna answered honestly while she put a blanket on the ground for them to sit on and began to unpack the food and wine from her satchel.

Merlin helped her and knelt down beside her. "I don't believe this is just an ordinary picnic? What's the occasion for this?"

She snorted and met his gaze. "See it as a late anniversary party," she replied, giggling. "I hadn't had the opportunity to do it on your actual anniversary because I wasn't informed, so I had to improvise. Just enjoy some time off. Please. You've been through a lot."

Merlin didn't say anything, but just smiled with content. They sat down on the blanket together, leaning against a rock as they had begun to eat. "What reason did you use this time to steal me away from Arthur this time?" he wondered with delight.

"None, actually," she replied, taking a sip from the wine. "I wanted to use the herb-collecting excuse, but Arthur was on to me. He now believes that we're on a date. I couldn't change his mind."

"A date?" Merlin repeated flushed, nearly spitting out his food. "I'm never going to hear the end of it."

Lyanna chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Arthur has promised me that he won't bother you about it. He's not as bad as you sometimes claim that he is."

"Well, let's hear if you say the same thing after cleaning boots from the entire army," he said playfully. They laughed together. This was something they needed to do more often. The constant pressures of Camelot were exhausting them, and it was nice to breath in some fresh air now and then.

"Uhm. I got you something," Lyanna started, fishing something out of her pocket. "I want you to have it. It was given to me by my father a few months ago and it originally belonged to my mother. This bracelet came with this necklace that I'm wearing. One can speak through the necklace and bracelet, and you always know if the other is still present in the world. Since I have two bracelets I want you to have one."

She was surprised by her own action. She had given one of the bracelets to Gwen and had been wondering whom to give the other one to for ages. Since she felt closer to Merlin it only seemed logical to her that he should get the other.

"I can't accept this," Merlin objected, looking at the silver bracelet.

"You must," she said determined and shove the bracelet around his wrist. "I don't accept no for an answer. It's a late birthday present! Besides this might be the only way that we can have contact with each other since I refuse to use telepathy."

"And why do you refuse to use it?" he wondered.

"Because my mind belongs to me and I don't want to be interrupted the entire day," she explained, giggling.

He laughed merrily at her. "You didn't need to give me a bracelet, but it's beautiful. Thank you, Lyanna. You're friendship is already enough."

"Are you saying that I'm your anniversary present?" she asked puzzled, trying to hold in her laughter.

"What? No! That's not how I meant it," he corrected himself, going red.

Lyanna started laughing. "I'm just teasing you, Merlin." She raised the bottle of wine and poured the red liquid into a cup before handing it to the servant. "A toast to complicated destinies, a prat of a prince, saving everyone's life in secret, but most of all to a beautiful and honest friendship," she toasted cheerfully. Their cups hit each other lightly and they both took a small sip.

"I couldn't wish for anything else," Merlin agreed, flashing his trademark smile. "I'm grateful to have you on my side, Lyanna. My life sure had changed since I've met you."

"In a good way or a bad way?" she asked teasingly, her eyes sparkling like diamonds.

"Good way of course," he told honestly.

He leant in closer, his breath mingling with her own. Lyanna looked into his beautiful blue eyes and felt enchanted, before her eyelids fluttered shut when his did. Just before their lips touched Lyanna pulled away, but stayed close to him. "No, we shouldn't," she gently objected. A part of her wished to kiss him but she knew that it would only make things worse. She was already confused by her feelings for the manservant of her brother. "I know we've kissed each other twice now, but it has to stop."

Merlin smiled sadly. "I know," he retorted sadly. "You're destined to wed a fine and wealthy nobleman. A princess cannot be with a servant boy."

His answer hurt Lyanna more than anything imaginable and she was a bit blown away by it. She didn't know that he thought about it like that. It was in that moment that she knew that he also had the same feelings as she had. "I'm sorry, Merlin. Honestly I am. I care greatly for you. You're the one I can trust blindly and who never judges me. I feel safe whenever I'm with you, but also at ease. You're a good friend to me," she told him. _Friend_. She could tell that the word stung him badly and that that he was trying his best to hide it from her, but she had seen it. "We just got carried away." She held out her hand to him.

He watched her for a moment before he accepted her hand and shook it. "Friend," he said in union with her.

"But you're still a clotpole." Lyanna ruffled through his raven hair, which was something she often did, but he caught her by surprise when he began to tickle her side. The Princess of Camelot fell onto her back as her entire body protested to wriggle herself free from his grasp as she chortled loudly. "Stop it," she pleaded desperately when tears escaped from her eyes.

Instead of releasing her he continued to tickle her, pretending that he hadn't heard her. Her sweet, innocent laugh boomed across the lake, which was a sound that he came to adore so much because she rarely laughed so freely. Her sides began to hurt as she tried to knock him off her, but it didn't work. She lay there in the soft grass as his long fingers tickled her sides. "Do you yield, Princess Lyanna?" Merlin asked with an amused smirk.

"Yes, I yield," she cried out and that was enough for the warlock to release her. She was almost panting as he sat up straight and watched her amusingly. "You're a terrible person," she spat out, but with a wide grin on her lips.

"Just don't call me a clotpole again," he told her as a warning. Lyanna raised her eyebrow at him in confusion and was about to ask him why. "Because that is what I call Arthur whenever he's annoying."

She laughed at that. "That word does suit him."

They finished eating all the food that Lyanna had brought with her while they just talked happily with one another, which felt very pleasant. Once they had finished Lyanna stood up and began to gather their belongings before putting them back into her satchel. Once she was finished she mounted Lumiere and watched Merlin hopped onto his horse.

They rode back together to Camelot and continued their cheerful conversations. By the time they had returned to Camelot, Lyanna went to Gwen's house to check in upon her servant and knocked on the door and waited for a respond. After less than a minute the door swung open and Gwen stood before her. Her eyes were red and puffy, a clear sign that she had been crying.

Lyanna quickly pulled her into a tight embrace. "Either you're going to spend the night in my chambers, or I'm going to stay here. I want to keep an eye on you, Gwen, to make sure that you're alright. You cannot be alone. Certainly not at a time like this."

Gwen slowly pulled back. "Would you honestly do that for me?"

"Of course I would," Lyanna said positively as she let pulled back and placed her hands upon her shoulders so that she was looking at her. "You're my friend, Gwen. And I want to help you."

They entered the small house where Gwen lived together with her father. Lyanna assisted her with making the two of them a simple dinner as she listened to Gwen telling some stories about Tom and her brother Elyan.

It was the only support that Lyanna could think of that she could provide. She couldn't change Uther's mind to release Tom. She could only be there for Gwen in the hope to help her get through this.

A few hours after dinner Gwen finally fell asleep exhausted in her bed from the commotion of the previous night. Lyanna watched her sleep for a while, feeling much better that her servant was able to catch some sleep at all. After a while of pondering Lyanna drifted off to sleep in a nearby chair.

It was a couple of hours before dawn when the sound of the warning bell echoed through town. Both women woke from the sleeps, wondering what might've caused this. "W—what's going on?" Gwen slurred, still half asleep.

Lyanna shook her head. "I'm sure it's nothing that concerns us. You should get some sleep," she suggested.

That seemed to reassure Gwen and the maid went back to sleep. Once Lyanna was convinced that she was asleep she rose from her chair and looked through the window to see what was going on, but she couldn't see anything. She guessed that she would find out what caused the warning bell to ring. She was already wide awake, and wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. Lyanna sat down in the chair again and thought of Merlin, and wondered if was currently searching for the cause of the warning bell. Only thinking about the powerful warlock already caused her cheeks to blush as she thought about what had almost happened at the lake and she was glad that there was no one around to see that.

Once the first sunrays entered the small house Lyanna decided to that it was time to wake Gwen up. "Good morning," Lyanna said cheerfully while Gwen rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than I did yesterday. Thanks to you," Gwen answered gratefully.

Lyanna smiled brightly at that answer. "That wonderful to hear. You should get dressed while I make you some breakfast." Lyanna went to the kitchen where she began to bake a few eggs for her friend while Gwen changed her clothes.

By the time they had eaten breakfast the two women walked through the courtyard when they suddenly caught sight of something. A few guards were carrying a cart in which lay the body of a man. A white sheet was placed over the body to cover it up, but the face of the man was still visible. Lyanna felt her own body grow cold at the sight of the man when she realized who it was. It was Tom and he was deceased.

Next to her Gwen began to wail in pure agony. "Nooooooo!" She ran to her father's body. "No, Father! No, Father!" She was about to drop onto her knees, but Lyanna quickly pulled her into her arms to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry," Lyanna whispered, feeling rather guilty that the man who was responsible for this was her father. Tom had somehow managed to escape from his cell last night and Uther had given the order to kill him. "Come with me."

She escorted her friend through the corridors of the castle until they reached the physician chambers. Here they found Gaius and Merlin sitting at the table, eating breakfast. At the sight of Gwen in tears they both rose, but Gwen quickly ran into Merlin's chamber and slammed the door shut.

"What happened to her?" Gaius asked perplexed.

"Her father managed to escape his cell last night. My father found out about that and had given the order to kill him. She only just found about it and I didn't know where to take her," Lyanna explained grimly. "I stayed with her last night to make sure that she was alright, but I have no idea what I can do now to help her."

Gaius placed his hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "You're doing everything that you can, and I'm convinced that Gwen is more than grateful for what you've done for her already. She sees you as a true friend, Lyanna."

Lyanna could only smile at that, feeling slightly better. Gwen was someone who deserved nothing but happiness and it was wrong that she had to go through this.

"I need to see some patients," Gaius announced before he left.

"I know you care a lot about Gwen, but you've done the right thing," Merlin said once they were alone. "She often said to me how glad she is to call you a friend."

Lyanna turned her head towards the warlock and smiled faintly. "You're also a good friend to her, Merlin. Don't forget that."

"I won't," he assured her and watched how Lyanna went into his room to check up on Gwen, before he chastely followed her. Lyanna had pulled Gwen into an embrace and dried up her tears.

"I just don't understand," Gwen started. "Why did he try to escape? His trial was this morning."

Before anyone could answer there came a gentle knock on the door. Arthur entered and Gwen quickly stood up to face him, being a proper servant. As if Arthur would honestly care if she would address him differently in a time like this. "Sire," she greeted him.

Arthur's face displayed some shock. He looked rather uncomfortable because of the situation. "Guinevere, I… want you to know that your job is safe. And that your home is yours for live. I guarantee you that. I know that under the circumstances it's not much but, erm, anything you want, anything you need, all you have to do is ask." That even surprised Lyanna who smiled a little at her brother. Arthur began to leave, but paused and turned back around. "I'm sorry." And he meant it. He also didn't approve of his father's ways.

"Thank you, Sire," Gwen said gratefully.

As Arthur left Lyanna quickly followed him. "Do you have any idea where Morgana is? It's nothing like her to not be here for Gwen after what happened."

The prince halted and lowered his voice. "Morgana got thrown into the dungeon because she stood up against our father for executing Tom. She even called him a tyrant."

Lyanna cursed inwardly. "That sure sounds like something she would do. I will go talk to father."

* * *

It was early the following morning when Lyanna ordered the guards to open the door of the cell where the King's ward was being kept. She and Arthur entered the cell and found Morgana sitting on the floor. "You," Morgana almost spat out as she saw them. "How proud you two must be. Children of the mighty Uther. How you must look up to him. Does the King's helpers bring a message? Or have you just come to gloat?"

Lyanna remained silent and exchanged a brief look with Arthur. "Guards! He shouted.

Morgana stood up and backed away, pulling on her chains. "Get away from me, you cowards!" she shouted. Lyanna couldn't believe that she was fighting like that. She was well aware of the fire that Morgana possessed, but she had never dared to imagine she would behave in such manner.

"You're free to go," Lyanna clarified placidly. The guards removed her manacles and left. Morgana watched the royal siblings for a moment before she strode towards the door. "Morgana," she called after her.

The King's ward paused just behind them. "Yes?"

"We swore to him that you'd never challenge his authority again. It took me nearly an hour to convince him to let you go. We swore that you'd learned your lesson. Tread carefully. Next time, we may not be able to help you," Arthur told the King's ward. Lyanna hated to see Morgana like that. So fragile and defeated.

"Thank you. You two are a better person than your father. Always were." She strode out of the cells.

Lyanna exhaled deeply. "She sure is something different," Arthur said softly once they were alone. "Do you care to go to the training with me?"

"I wouldn't wish for something else," the princess responded delighted. She quickly changed her dress into some armour and made her way to the training ground to practice together with the knights of Camelot. She fought against a couple of them. It felt good to not have to think about everything that was going on, and to have a blade in her hands. It was something she had never would grow tired of. Her skills had only developed thanks to the amounts of practice she had.

By the time the training was finished Lyanna felt rather sweaty and longed for a nice bath to relax her sore muscles. Because Gwen wasn't at work she knew that she had to make her own bath, but she didn't mind. She entered her chambers and was shocked to see Gwen folding clothes on her bed. "Gwen, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home," Lyanna supplied puzzled and put her equipment on the table.

"I can't go home," Gwen replied. Her voice was shaking and hoarse from crying.

"I understand that. You can stay here if you wish," Lyanna insisted, not knowing what else that she could do to help out.

That didn't seem to comfort Gwen. "It's Tauren." She was nearly crying now. "He attacked me and threatened me. He told me he was looking for some kind of stone. If I didn't bring it to him he'd kill me. He's waiting for me in the Darkling Woods. If I don't get the stone to him by dawn tomorrow… I told Morgana about it and she assured me that she would send some knights to meet him."

Lyanna was stunned to hear such a thing. "I'm sorry he did that to you. But you shouldn't worry, Gwen. If the knights of Camelot will face Tauren he won't stand a chance. He cannot harm you here. You're safe."

Gwen's face brightened up in relief. "You're a true friend, My Lady. I'll prepare you a bath." Lyanna chose not to argue with Gwen, and thought that it was best to let her do some chores to help her take her mind of things. It was also a good way to keep an eye on her.

About thirty minutes later Lyanna was seated in a warm bathtub. She quietly hummed a tune of a melody that was stuck inside her head while she scrubbed her arms. She always felt much better once she had taken a bath and she tried to take one every day.

The rest of the day Lyanna made sure that Gwen was alright. The princess woke up from her sleep when she felt the same powerful magic being used as a few nights ago. She rubbed into her eyes before she grabbed a grey cloak and put it around her shoulders to cover herself up a bit and walked out of her chambers.

As she walked through the corridors to see where it was coming from she was pulled behind a pillar by someone familiar. "Merlin," she cried out, but he covered her mouth behind his hand. She heard footsteps and was able to smell the strong fragrance that belonged to Morgana as she walked past their hiding place. Once she had gone around the corner both sorcerers dared to come out. "I'm going to follow her," Lyanna insisted.

"No! You should stay here!" Merlin objected. The thought of Lyanna getting hurt was already worrying him. "I'll go."

"You cannot stop me." She smirked teasingly at the warlock before she headed after the King's ward. Merlin was walking right behind her, knowing that he cannot do anything to convince her to stay here. Lyanna was just as stubborn as her brother.

They followed Morgana through the lower town and into the woods. Lyanna made sure that they kept a good distance from her so that she wouldn't know that she was being followed. A couple of times Merlin managed to snap a few twigs, but luckily enough they were out of hearing range. By the time they were in the middle of the Darkling Woods, Tauren's men began to surround Morgana. Merlin pulled Lyanna behind a large tree as they listen to their conversation from nearby.

"Where is your maid?" Tauren wanted to know.

"I've come in her place," Morgana replied bravely.

"Kill her," Tauren ordered.

"No wait!" Morgana reached for the stone. "I brought the stone!"

Tauren looked suspiciously at her. "What else have you brought, My Lady? The Knights of Camelot?" It was clear that he didn't trust her at all. Lyanna watched the scene bellow with clenched fists, ready to strike whenever any harm would come to Morgana.

"I came alone, I promise you." She handed him the stone.

"You were foolish to come here. I had no quarrel with your maid. But you, My Lady Morgana, you are Uther's ward." Tauren drew his sword and put it to her stomach. Lyanna made the attempt to run down there, but Merlin pulled her back.

To everyone's surprise Morgana didn't flinch. "If you kill me, you'll regret it."

"Why is that?"

"Because I want Uther dead too," Morgana replied coldly. Her voice didn't hold any emotions.

Merlin exchanged a look with Lyanna who felt betrayed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This didn't sound like Morgana at all.

"You?" Tauren spat out. "An enemy of the King? And I'm to believe that?"

"Why else would I be here?"

"I can only guess your motives, My Lady. You could be a spy, for all I know."

"And this…" Morgana flipped back her sleeves, revealing her sore and bruised wrists. "Is it usual for Uther to chain his friends to a dungeon wall?" Her voice was now filled with controlled anger. "The stone. You took it to the forge. Why?"

After this Tauren seemed to trust Morgana a bit more and was willing to share his information with her. "With it a man can alter the very essence of things. He can turn a lump of lead into gold," the man explained.

"Gold?" the King's ward repeated puzzled. "A good man died in your quest for riches, Tauren. His daughter is now an orphan."

"I'm sorry for that. Truly," Tauren apologized. "But we did not want the gold to line our pockets. The gold was but a means, a means to rid this kingdom of Uther Pendragon once and for all."

Lyanna felt her throat go dry. "What are you saying?" Morgana questioned.

"Bribery is rife at Camelot. I will use the corruption at the heart of his kingdom, and such abundance of gold will buy me into the King's chambers, even to the King himself."

"The guards may be fools, Tauren, but the King is not," Morgana responded.

"Do you have a better plan?" Tauren sheathed his sword again.

"To get to Uther, you need someone close to him," she suggested.

Tauren paused. "And you know of such a person?"

"I do. Me."

That answer put a strong chill into Lyanna's skin who felt as if the world was playing a joke on her. She honestly couldn't believe that Morgana was willing to betray her family like that after everything that her father had done for her. He had even taken her under his care after her own father had passed away. Of course she understood Morgana's motive, but the woman was just blinded by anger.

Instead of listening to the rest of the conversation Lyanna started to head back towards Camelot in the middle of the night. Merlin followed her suit, and gently grabbed her wrist to put her to a halt once they were far enough from Tauren and Morgana. "Are you alright?" he asked concerned, noticing the hurt in her eyes.

"Just heartbroken I guess," Lyanna replied doubtfully. "I'm not used to getting betrayed like this. I know that Morgana doesn't get along well with my father, but I never thought that she was willing to do this. What can we do to stop her?"

He shook his head unsure. "I don't know," he muttered.

An hour later Lyanna was seated in the corner in the physician chambers while Merlin and Gaius were eating breakfast. She was lost in her own thoughts and Merlin stared into his bowl.

"Pass the salt, please," Gaius asked friendly. Merlin handed him an apple without looking up. Normally something like that would cause Lyanna to laugh, but not this time. "Are you two alright?" the physician asked concerned.

"What? Yeah. We've just got a few things on our mind, that's all," Lyanna replied. She was leaning with her head onto her hand as she tried to think of a solution to solve the problem with Morgana, but nothing came to mind. She couldn't just warn her father about it because he wouldn't believe her.

"Anything you'd like to talk to me about?" Gaius questioned. He was eager to help out, just like he always was.

Merlin paused and looked up. "I can't imagine you'd be interested."

"So long as you're sure," Gaius muttered.

"I should be getting to work," Merlin determined. He rose from his chair and head to the door behind him.

"Er, Merlin?" the old man questioned. Merlin stopped and turned around to face him. "That's a broom cupboard."

Merlin smiled foolishly while Lyanna snickered quietly before she followed the warlock out of the physician chambers. "Where are you going?" Merlin asked confused once she started to walk in a different direction.

"To speak to Kilgharrah," she cleared up. "Maybe he has some answers for us. Are you coming? I will cover for you."

He looked at her for a brief second before he started to smile, being impressed with her idea. Together they made their way to the cave below the castle. Lyanna was holding a torch in her hands as they entered the cave. Kilgharrah was fast asleep. Merlin cleared his throat pointedly, which caused the dragon to stir. "Well, young sorcerers," he greeted. "What is it you come to ask of me?"

Lyanna's gaze lingered to Merlin for a brief second. "We need your help."

"Of course you do, but this time, will you heed my words?"

"The sorcerer Tauren is plotting to kill the King. He's made an ally of Morgana. We don't know what to do," Merlin supplied sounding hopeless.

"Do… nothing," the Great Dragon said slowly, making his point clear.

Lyanna tensed up at that. "What do you mean with that? If we do nothing, my father will die." She was well aware that some of the choices her father made were wrong. Even though the bond with her father was not the strongest and she felt closer with Gaius, she couldn't sit by and let her father die.

"Don't you want Uther dead? It is Uther that persecuted you and your kind, Ilunavar. It is Uther that murdered the innocent."

"I'm well aware of the mistakes my father has made," Lyanna spat out, anger clearly hearable in her voice. Her hands were slightly shaking, and she had to do her best not to lose her temper. "But surely that doesn't make it right to kill him." She felt that Merlin placed his hand on her lower back in the hope to keep her calm.

"Only if Uther dies can magic return to the land. Only if Uther dies will you be free. Uther's reign is at an end. Let Arthur's reign begin. Fulfill your destiny!" Kilgharrah began to fly off.

"Wait!" Merlin called after him. "Where does it say our destiny includes murder?"

"Free this land for tyranny! Free us all!" the Great Dragon responded before it disappeared on the top of the cave.

Lyanna was too stunned to move for a moment, letting all this fresh information sink. She wondered if everyone felt the same about this as Kilgharrah, Tauren and Morgana did. Maybe they were right. If her father died magic could finally return to the kingdom. But what is really worth to let her father die for that?

"Come on," Merlin said with his soft voice. She hooked her arm through his as they headed back up towards the palace. He escorted her back to her chambers. "You should get some sleep. You're obviously exhausted because you haven't slept last night."

Her big hazel eyes shifted to him. "And what about you?" she questioned. She wanted him to stay with her more than ever, but she knew that he couldn't. If he wouldn't go to Arthur he would probably end up in the stocks or lose his job. That was something she didn't want on her conscience. "You shouldn't let Arthur wait. He's not a man of patience."

Merlin nodded understandingly. He wanted to keep her company, but she was right. "If you'll need me I won't be far away," he told her which brought a smile upon her lips. It was nice to know that he was on her side during all of this.

He flashed her his trademark smile, which was her favorite, before he walked out of the room. The princess let out a sight when she fell back into her soft mattress. It didn't take long until she managed to fall asleep.

* * *

She woke up later when she felt someone gently stirring her shoulders. Her eyes shot open and she saw Morgana standing next to her bed. At the sight of the King's ward the memories of last night came back to her mind, and she had to make sure that Morgana wouldn't find out that she knew of her deal with Tauren.

"Is something wrong?" Lyanna asked, playing innocent. She had to keep up her act.

"You've been asleep for quite some time. Merlin informed me that he brought you back to your chambers because you had collapsed from exhaustion this morning." At that Lyanna bit her bottom lip. That sure sounded a lot like something he would say to cover up for her. "By now it is past noon. I was wondering if you would accompany me for a ride."

Lyanna slowly sat up, wondering what she should do with this request. If she would decline it Morgana surely would suspect that's she up to something, and that couldn't happen. All that she could do was to play along. "Sure, that sounds exciting. I need to get dressed first."

Morgana nodded. "I'll wait for you in the courtyard."

The princess watched as the King's ward left her chambers before she climbed out of her bed. Her body was still feeling kind of limp from sleeping, but she made her way over to her chamber fold. There she changed her nightgown into a moonlight blue dress, with long V-shaped sleeves. She weaved her golden long golden hair into a side braid. She placed a flower circlet on top of her head before she walked out of her chambers. By the time she reached the courtyard Morgana was nowhere to be found. She walked over to Lumiere and petted its pink muzzle while the steed snorted in respond.

After a couple of minutes Morgana descended down the steps. By the look on her face Lyanna could tell something had happened. "Is all well?" Lyanna asked politely as she mounted Lumiere.

"Yes, it is," Morgana replied cheerfully as she mounted her own white mare. Together they left the courtyard in the gallop and headed towards the forest. It was a surprisingly nice day for this time of the year. As they rode the two women talked about ordinary things. It cost Lyanna a lot of effort to not confront Morgana about what she had found out last night.

After nearly an hour they had reached a bright clearing in the middle of the forest and came to a halt. "I ran into the King before I came to the courtyard," Morgana announced, awaking Lyanna's curiosity. She eyed her with narrowed eyes. "He's going to take me to a trip to visit my father's grave tomorrow so that we can put everything that has happened in the last days in the past."

A horrible thought immediately flashed through Lyanna's mind. If it truly was Morgana's intention to kill her father than this was the perfect occasion for it. They would travel with only a small amount of guards so there wouldn't be many people between her and her goal. If Tauren would meet her there it could be the end of her father.

She swallowed loudly. "That's wonderful to hear," Lyanna replied, faking her enthusiasm. "Some time away with my father will sure do you good." At that Morgana smiled before she kicked her horse into a gallop again. "Come on, boy," she said quietly and patted Lumiere's neck. The steed took off into a brisk canter, following the King's ward further between the trees.

It was around nightfall when they finally returned back to Camelot. Lyanna stormed into the physician chambers in the hope to find Merlin there, but instead she found Gaius there who was busy with fluttering through some books. "Lyanna, dear. How wonderful it is to see you," he greeted cheerfully. "How was your day?"

"Quite well. I went for a ride with Morgana," she replied hastily. "Do you have any idea where Merlin is?"

"I haven't seen him since this morning. He might still be with Arthur." At that Lyanna was unsure what to do next. If she would find him he would be with Arthur, which meant that she couldn't tell him what she had found out. "You can wait for him here while I make you something to eat."

Lyanna smiled when an idea came to mind. "Why don't you read some more and let me worry about dinner. You deserve a good meal." With that Lyanna strode out of the physician chambers to gather something to eat from the palace kitchen. By now the staff there had already gotten used to the princess coming in like that all the time, and paid very little attention to her. Together with one of the maids she found some good food and brought it back to the physician chambers where she stated to prepare it.

"Are you honestly planning to cook me dinner?" Gaius asked bewildered.

"Yes I am," Lyanna replied ecstatic. "See it as a thank you for all that you've done for me."

The dinner she had chosen existed of sausages, some tomato soup and mashed potatoes. It wasn't much but she assumed that it was something that Gaius would approve of. While Lyanna cooked she quietly sang a song.

"_In the morning when I wake, and the sun is coming through. Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness, and you fill my head with you. Shall I write it in a letter? Shall I try to get it down? Oh, you fill my head with pieces, of a song I can't get out. Can I be close to you?_"

A few times Lyanna caught Gaius smirking at her as he listened to her sweet and endearing voice that sang that song. It was plain obvious to the old physician that she had someone that she thought of in that manner. While Lyanna kept singing Merlin meanwhile entered the chambers while the princess didn't notice him. He was perplexed to hear her sing in such a manner.

"_Can I take it to a moment where the fields are painted gold? And the trees are filled with memories of the feelings never told? When the evening pulls the sun down, and the day is almost through. Oh, the whole world is sleeping, but my world is you_."

Lyanna spun around, now fully aware of Merlin's presence and felt her cheeks flushing as red as his shirt. "H—hi, Merlin," she greeted a bit nervous. "I had no idea that you had arrived already. Do you care for some soup?"

"Sure," the warlock replied. He sat down at the table together with Gaius while the princess put two bowls of soup on the table. "What's the occasion that you're cooking dinner this evening?"

"Why does there have to be a reason for this? Can't a princess cook dinner for the people that she cares about?" she questioned with a teasing smirk on her lips. She gave Merlin a quick wink before turned back to the kitchen to check on her sausages.

He shook his head and smiled as she sat down with her own bowl of soup. "You sure are a wonderful cook," Gaius complimented, kind of impressed. "Who taught you to cook like that?"

She straightened herself. "Well, thank you. I guess I kind of taught it myself. It's the best way to learn it," she answered honestly.

They ate dinner while they spoke about ordinary things. By the time dinner was ended and Gaius went to give the King's his draft for his old battle wound, Lyanna and Merlin remained behind in the physician chambers. "Morgana and Uther are going to visit her father's grave tomorrow. I fear that it's a setup," Lyanna admitted, sulking. "If she has any intention of killing my father this would be the perfect place for it because of the lack of guards that are coming with them."

"Then we have no other choice then to follow them to make sure that doesn't happen," he suggested, grinning widely before he rushed to his bedroom and grabbed something from underneath his bed. He came back, carrying the staff that belonged to Sophia Tír-Mòr's.

Lyanna could only smile impressed at him. "You sure are something special, Merlin. I'll come back tomorrow morning. I need to check up on Gwen first." With those words the witch left the physician chambers. She made sure that Gwen was alright for a couple of hours until her maid told her she able to go home. After that she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next morning sunrays shone through the large window of the bedroom. Lyanna stood in her white nightgown looking at the town bellow her, while a soft breeze that entered her chamber played with her long golden hair. The warm autumn sunshine cast a golden glance over the town bellow, making everything glimmer in the morning light. Lyanna had truly come to love Camelot and was grateful that she could call this place her home.

She turned away from the lovely view and went to her vanity and studied her reflection as she picked up a silver brush and began to work the knots out of her hair. Two intelligent hazel eyes looked back at her. She looked like an average girl with long blonde hair which reached the end of her back, and a heartshaped face. She was at the average height for a twenty year old girl, with a slender build.

The last year she sure had changed. Lyanna was convinced that her magic reveal and Marie dying sure had made her stronger. She didn't feel like the same person that she was before, but in some way stronger and more independent.

There came a knock on the door and Gwen entered her chambers. "Good morning, do you need any help with that?" her servant asked polity. Lyanna nodded pleased while Gwen walked over to the vanity and started to brush the hair of the princess.

"Do you think I make a good princess, Gwen?" Lyanna wondered out loud.

Her questioned surprised her a bit. "You're doing incredibly well. You truly care about the people of Camelot and they've accepted you in their hearts. It doesn't matter that you're not behaving like a true princess all the time and prefer to do things on your own. I've lost count how many times I had to help you change outfits whenever you came back from the forest, covered in mud. You are you, Lyanna, which makes you special. Don't ever change."

Her speech touched Lyanna who had never dared to imagine she thought about her in such a manner. "You're a true friend, Gwen. How are you today?"

"Much better. Thank you," Gwen responded honestly.

While Gwen braided her hair Lyanna looked at her own reflection again. She knew that she was timid, but she felt stronger now than a year ago. Maybe it was because of the amount of training she had gotten. By the time Gwen was finished Lyanna quickly changed her nightgown into a forest green tunic with brown breeches and brown leather boots. As the princess kept looking down at the courtyard to wait for the arrival of Morgana and Uther she chatted with Gwen, which put her in higher spirits.

After nearly an hour she saw the two of them depart together with a couple of guards. Lyanna tied her leather belt around with waist and sheathed her sword in her scabbard. "I've got to dash. Morgana won't be here as well today. You should really take the rest of the day off, Gwen." She hurried out of her chambers and hurried down the stairs.

She found Merlin inside the physician chambers, ready to go at once. "I already saw my father and Morgana leaving," Lyanna announced. "We've got to go now!" Merlin picked up the staff from Sophia Tír-Mòr's before following her through the corridors. While he turned to the courtyard Lyanna grabbed him by the wrist. "We need to get a horse first. Did you honestly think we could catch up with them on foot?"

As they entered the stables they found Lumiere to be already saddled. Tyr stood in the corner of the stables. "I already assumed that you would be going for a ride today, My Lady, because you go for a ride nearly every Wednesday."

"Thank you, Tyr." She addressed the stable boy a warm smile before she grabbed the reigns of Lumiere and pulled him out of the stables. In the courtyard she smoothly mounted the steed who had trusted her fully now. She let Merlin slip into the saddle in front of her so that he could hold the reigns. He handed her the staff while he kicked Lumiere into a brisk canter and they rode out of town.

She slipped her other arm tightly around his waist. Her cheeks heated up when she remembered how muscular the warlock felt underneath his baggy clothes. She bent her head closer to his shoulder and took in his forest and lemon soap scent, which gave her the true feeling that she was home.

As they rode Lyanna gave him the directions in which they needed to go. Morgana had told her where her father was buried so she knew where it was. "We're almost here," Lyanna announced after nearly an hour of riding through the forest. Merlin kicked Lumiere into a faster gallop. The autumn breeze set a chill in Lyanna's skin, but it was easy to ignore. "They're over there."

Merlin immediately put Lumiere into a halt and nearly jumped off the horse. He took over the staff before Merlin approached the horses who were gathered around a tree. Lyanna dismounted Lumiere as well and tied the steed to a nearby tree before storming after Merlin who already was far ahead of her.

As she followed him she found some of the guards of Camelot lying on the ground. They were killed. Lyanna spun her head and saw Merlin walking after Tauren's men. The princess cursed under her breath and tried to keep up with him.

Meanwhile Merlin had gained in on the renegades and raises the staff. "_**Ácwele**_!" he chanted. A bolt of energy shot out and killed one of them. The other drew his sword, but Lyanna stopped with a similar spell from a distance.

"We were supposed to do this together," Lyanna reminded him, trying to regain her breath. "Don't you run off without me again!"

She walked past him with a steady pace. "Alright, I'm sorry," Merlin apologized as he caught up with her. "It wasn't my intention to –'

The princess addressed him a warm smile. "I'm just teasing, Merlin. Come now. This filthy pig is near."

Just as Lyanna had suspected they found Tauren only a few minutes later. The sorcerer was spying on Uther and Morgana to wait for the signal to kill the King, but then heard them sneaking up behind out. He moves and pulled out the Mage Stone.

"_**Ácwele!**_" Merlin chanted once more. He raised the staff and shot, but Tauren absorbed the energy bolt with the Stone and sent it back at Merlin, who fell onto the ground.

Lyanna immediately kneeled beside Merlin and grabbed his head in her hands and realized that he was unconscious. Tauren's stone was by far more powerful than the magic she possessed. "You've made a mistake by coming here," the princess said through clenched teeth.

"No, My Lady," he replied, grinning mischievously. "You've made a mistake. You have no business here and you cannot stop me." He chanted something which Lyanna couldn't hear, but she stepped aside before knocking the man onto the ground.

"Are you sure?" Lyanna asked him. She raised her hand at him. "_**Unfiduiz Ywna.**_" A ball of light came out of her hand, but Tauren only raised the stone to block her and sent it back to her. She felt all the strength disappear from her own body, and she fell backward.

"Well. Well. I wonder what Uther has to say about his own daughter being a sorceress," Tauren figured with a smug smile. "How must despise you. I hope you don't mind that I've stunned you, My Lady. I've got an appointment I really don't want to miss." Tauren laughed darkly before he stormed between the trees.

Lyanna watched with big eyes as Tauren swung with his sword at Uther. Her father blocked the block and wrestled with the sorcerer. Meanwhile Merlin woke up and stirred next to her. His eyes shut open and he caught sight of Lyanna lying beside him. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, panic clearly hearable in his voice. His eyes darkened as he tried to lift her up in his arms.

"Stunned," was all that Lyanna could say.

Merlin nodded understandingly as he lifted her gently against a tree before he picked up the staff and stormed after Tauren. Lyanna scrupulously held her breath as Tauren pinned Uther down and drew his dagger, which her father tried to block. She felt worthless that she wasn't able to fight now.

"Die, Uther Pendragon!" Tauren said loudly, which she could hear from over there.

As Merlin approached with the staff, Tauren got stabbed in his back. Uther pushed Tauren off him as Morgana dropped the dagger. Lyanna couldn't believe that Morgana had actually saved her father's life. Uther pulled Morgana into a bear hug while Merlin came rushing back towards Lyanna and lifted her in his arms.

"I'm going to take you back to Camelot now," he informed her as he pulled her closer so that she was leaning against his chest. He carried her back to where Lumiere was still grazing on some soft grass. Gently he lifted her into the saddle before sliding down behind her. His muscular arms were like a cage around her as he kicked Lumiere into gallop.

Hours later when everyone had returned to Camelot no one seemed to mention about what had happened out there. Lyanna watched Morgana walk through the throne room and honestly hoped that the King's ward hadn't changed and was still the same person that she cared so dearly about. Maybe she was still the same. Only time could tell.

* * *

**We've reached that point in the story where Lyanna isn't sure anymore whether or not that she could trust Morgana, which I think is an interesting part. This will exploit in further chapters though! The song that Lyanna song in this chapter was Bloom by The Paper Kites! It's such an adorable song it's really worth listening to.**

**Until next week :)**


	14. Le Morte d'Arthur

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Bless everyone who takes the time to read this story! I love all of you with my entire heart and I wish that I could hug you all for it!

**EmilyGrace31: Of course Lyanna is going to be very suspicious now! I'm super glad that you love Myanna so much, and no I couldn't tell ;-) Thank you so much for all those kind words and reviewing again! I do hope this chapter pleased you and made you just as excited haha :D**

**Guest: Your reviews surely made me happy and I'm glad that you're liking this story! I do hope that you liked this series finale as well ;-) There are many more things to come.**

**KatieWatsonHolmes: I honestly believe that she is. Oh wow you live in London? I might move to London too next year for my studies! But what a wonderful way to meet someone haha. And yes big brothers are the nicest. I was also super close with my brother before he passed away a few years ago, but I still miss him every day. It warms my heart to see that you liked that chapter as well :D There is going to me a lot more Merlin and Lyanna from now on and they'll discover their true feelings in time. But bless you for saying those sweet things. Thank you *another big hug for you***

**A/N- **Series 1 finale! Woohoo

**Please enjoy this new chapter!**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Le Morte d'Arthur**

It was a chill morning when Lyanna stepped outside of the castle completely dressed in some comfortable travel gear which existed of a grey tunic with long sleeves, and black breeches and brown boots. An hour ago Arthur had shown up in her chambers and had asked her to go on a hunting trip with him and a few knights and she couldn't decline the offer. A good hunting trip was exactly what she needed.

Lyanna walked down the steps and onto the courtyard where Merlin stood with some of weaponry, who she greeted with a warm smile. "Merlin, stop slumping. I know you don't like hunting trips but it will be over before you know it," she tried to reassure him. "If that doesn't cheer you, remember that I'm there with you."

At that his face lightened up. "That sure helps a bit," he replied dryly. Lyanna chuckled and ruffled through Merlin's raven hair.

Arthur walked onto the courtyard. "Lyanna, I'm glad that you're here," he stated satisfied, a smug grin on his lips as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "From everyone out there you're by far the one with the most experience. What makes you so good?"

"I think it's for the best if I keep that for myself, brother dear. Let's keep it a mystery." She smiled teasingly and winked at him before she picked up a crossbow.

Her brother gave the sign for them to leave. All the knights picked up a weapon before they walked through the town gate and into the forest. As they marched as quietly as they could Lyanna walked alongside Merlin, noticing the hint of displeasure in his eyes.

After a while of walking the fog grew thicker in the forest, making it more difficult for them to see something, but that didn't ruin their spirits. They sneaked quietly, trying to make as little sound as they could make. Lyanna's concentrated on her surroundings as she walked with them.

They snuck through bushes, almost crawling as they went. They heard the sound of an animal growling nearby and Arthur kneeled down on the ground. "Merlin, spear," he ordered, his voice nothing more than a faint whisper, not wanting to scare the boar away. Unfortunately Merlin's clumsiness caused the warlock to drop the spear onto the ground, making a little noise. The prince picked it up annoyed. "Do you have any natural gifts, Merlin?" he asked.

Merlin paused to think about that. "No. Well, let me think. I'm not naturally rude or insensitive," he replied. At that Lyanna snickered softly, exchanging a brief look with the warlock.

"Just naturally irritating," Arthur muttered as he stood up and continued to walk.

Lyanna shook her head in the hope to let Merlin know that wasn't true, and he smiled faintly at her, as a sign of gratitude. The animal growled again and this time Merlin's face was filled with fear. Sadly enough Arthur caught Merlin's expression.

"It's probably more scared of you than you are of it," the prince told his servant.

Arthur signaled to his knights where to go. Before they were able to split up a large beast jumped before them. It had the head of a snake, and the body of a large cat. A cold feeling shot through Lyanna's body as she looked at the creature. She recognized it from one of Gaius books but couldn't remember which one it was.

The beast growled once more. Because Lyanna's body had frozen on the spot, Arthur pulled her along with him by her wrist as they all ran away. The beast followed them with great haste and somehow Merlin managed to fall down. None of the knights had seen it and Lyanna abruptly stopped running. "Merlin!" she shouted desperately.

Arthur spun around and hurried down to his servant together with Sir Bedivere, and they helped him back onto his feet before they continue to run again. For several minutes they ran until the beast was nowhere to be seen.

"Have we lost it?" Merlin asked, catching his breath.

"We're missing Sir Bedivere," the princess cleared up as she looked around. As she said that they were able to hear the knight scream in pure pain, which made Lyanna nauseous. "We should head back to warn the others."

No one argued with that. The walk back to Camelot went mostly in silent as they all thought about what had happened. Once they had returned to Camelot, Arthur immediately went into the council chamber to discuss this matter with the King. Arthur told them what had happened and Lyanna described the beast that they had encountered that had taken Sir Bedivere's life.

"The creature you describe has all the characteristics of the Questing Beast," Gaius cleared up for that. Lyanna felt her entire body tense as the physician mentioned the name of that creature. She remembered reading about that beast, but not what it could do.

"Surely that's a myth," Arthur responded not convinced.

"According to the old books, the appearance of the Questing Beast is supposed to foreshadow a time of great upheaval."

"Gaius, it's an old wives tale," Uther retorted. Lyanna exhaled deeply, trying to remain calm. She couldn't believe that they were being too foolish by not believing this.

"Look, whatever it is, it's spreading panic. The people fear it will enter the city," Arthur informed them.

Uther turned his head. "Then we must kill it. Arthur, gather the guard together. You ride at dawn."

Arthur exchanged a brief look with Merlin before he turned around and headed towards the door, followed by his servant. "Father, if you'll excuse me. I wish be to be a part of this guard as well. I want to help out," Lyanna pleaded.

The King scoffed. "I think not. It's far too dangerous for you. I don't want to see any harm come to you. You stay here."

Lyanna growled softly before storming out of the council chambers. By now she was well aware that it was foolish to ask things like this from her father because he was too stubborn to be argued with. In his eyes she still was a young child because he refused to believe that she had actually grown up.

She waited in the corridors until Gaius left the council chambers as well and she followed the court physician. "Gaius, I'm sorry that my father is such a foolish man when it comes to matters like this," she stated sadly. "Can I read in some of your books to find more information about this beast?"

"Sure, that's not a problem, my dear," he assured her friendly.

Together they walked through the corridors until they reached the physician chambers. While Lyanna began to put some books on the table Gaius made the two of them some tea.

As Lyanna waited for the physician to join her she sat down at the table, and looked at the flame of a candle that was dancing in front of her eyes. Ever since she had stared into the eyes of that beast she hasn't been able to shake that cold off. "Are you well?" Gaius asked concerned, noticing her struggling.

She nodded a few times. "I'm okay," she replied, quite breathless.

"You don't look too well," the physician retorted hesitant as he placed the damping mug of tea on the table. "Do you mind if I take a look?" The princess nodded again while Gaius took her body temperature. "You're freezing! What happened?"

"I don't know," Lyanna replied confused, her eyes filled with doubt. "I just remember feeling rather cold after looking the Questing Beast in the eyes. Maybe we're exaggerating. It's probably nothing serious."

Gaius raised one of his eyebrows. "I'm not so sure. It's not very common for someone's temperature to lower like that. It's not good for the organs. I'll have to keep an eye on you to make sure it's indeed nothing serious."

"Thank you, Gaius." She smiled sadly. "Can you not tell anyone about this? I don't want them to worry."

"Sure, but only if you'll sit next to the fireplace, dear," he insisted kindly.

Lyanna chuckled quietly and sat down next to the small fireplace. "**Forbearnan**," she chanted. Her eyes flashed gold and the wood in the fireplace caught fire. Gaius walked towards her and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and handed her the damping mug before he sat down beside her, looking through his book.

"Here," Gaius said after a moment of silence. "I found it." Lyanna turned her head and looked at the page he was pointing at and read what was written.

"So if this beast bites you there is no cure?" she asked skeptical. Gaius nodded. Fear immediately washed through her as she thought about Arthur and Merlin having to face the Questing Beast tomorrow morning.

"Don't worry too much, dear." Gaius placed his hand on her shoulder for a moment and she felt a bit better because of that. This was one of these moments when the princess realized that she was closer to the physician than she would ever be with her own father. Maybe it was because they were as different as night and day. Surely she didn't approve of everything that Uther had done, but she didn't hate him. No, he was her father and she did care about him dearly. But she never felt the closure that she did feel with Gaius. "This beast is an omen. I've seen it come before, the night before your mother passed away."

Lyanna looked confused at that. "But what may have caused the beast to appear like that? Do you think that someone is controlling this beast?"

"I'm not sure. But it could be someone who controls the Old Religion and knows how to control it," the physician responded vaguely. "Like I said, don't worry too much. Focus on your tea and regaining your strength."

She brought the mug to her lips and took a big sip from the tea. Normally she would feel the heat spread through her whenever she drank tea, but this time she didn't. All she felt was cold, and she had to do her absolute best not to shiver too much so that Gaius would get too concerned about her and might lock her up somewhere.

After an hour Merlin arrived in the physician chambers to eat some dinner. Once he caught sight of Lyanna sitting next to the fire and underneath a blanket he got worried. "Is everything alright?" he immediately asked, eying Lyanna.

"She's just a bit cold," Gaius answered for her. Lyanna was glad that the physician had understood her and was keeping his mouth shut about this to others. "You're staying here for dinner, young lady." At that the end of Lyanna's lips curled up into a small smile, but Gaius saw it. She didn't want to argue with him and he knew it. While Merlin was busy cleaning his sword Gaius walked towards him with the book. "This is no ordinary beast, Merlin," he warned his ward.

"Don't worry," the warlock shrugged it off, balancing the sword in his hands. Lyanna watched them both curiously.

"No, listen to me, you don't understand," he pleaded. "Uther may not respect the Old Religion, but it is very real. To face a beast such as this, you must understand where it came from."

"What do you mean?"

"At the heart of the Old Religion lies the magic of life and death itself. The Questing Beast carried that power. One bite, you die, there is no cure." The words of the physician weighed heavily in the air. Shortly after that he handed her a bowl of soup which she ate in silence, not wanting to draw any attention to herself.

By the time she was finished the Lyanna stood up from her chair. "I should leave," she announced, already feeling like a burden to the two of them. She folded the blanket before putting it on the table and heading to the door.

"Do you want me to check in on you later?" Gaius asked.

She turned her head. "No, thank you. I'll come back in the morning. Good night." Lyanna hastily left the physician chambers and made her way through the palace corridors. When she was close to her own chamber she saw Gwen departing that of Morgana, looking a bit flushed. "Is something wrong?"

Gwen nodded. "Morgana had a bad dream that's all. Where did you come from?"

"I was with Gaius," she declared. "Just trying to find some more information about this beast. What did Morgana dream about?"

"She didn't say."

"Anyway I'm heading to bed. Goodnight, Gwen." She gave her servant a warm smile before she entered her own chamber and closed the door behind her. Quickly she changed into a nightgown before she slipped underneath the covers, wrapping herself tightly to try to keep warm. It took her a while until she felt comfortable and wasn't thinking about the cold anymore. She drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

It was late the following morning when Lyanna was awoken by someone shaking her shoulders. She opened her hazel eyes and adjusted to the bright light in her chambers until she noticed that Gaius was standing next to her bed. As she tried to sit up straight she realized she felt worse than she had the previous night. More strength had faded out of her body and she couldn't stop shivering.

"The color in your face is also disappearing," Gaius stated grimly, sitting down on the edge of her bed. He placed his hand against her forehead. "Your skin is much colder than yesterday. How are you feeling?"

"Like ice," the princess replied with a hoarse voice. "Is there any cure to stop this Gaius?"

There was doubt in the eyes of the physician. "I cannot say, because I don't know what caused this. You should stay here in bed and keep warm, my dear. I'll look into it. Also in case you're wondering your brother hasn't returned yet." Gaius gave her a warm smile before he walked out of the room.

Lyanna let out a sigh. This wasn't the moment to get sick. Especially not when her brother and Merlin were hunting for the Questing Beast. She wrapped herself tighter underneath the cover while Gwen and Morgana entered her chambers. "Gaius told me us weren't feeling well. Is there anything I can do to help?" the servant asked generous.

"Some tea would be lovely and I could also use the company."

Gwen nodded and left again while Morgana sat down next to her in her bed and wrapped her arms around the princess. Ever since the incident a couple of weeks ago Lyanna didn't fully trust the King's ward anymore. She did her absolute best to hide it, because a part of her wanted to believe that she was the same old Morgana again.

"I'm sorry," Morgana apologized, and she sounded humble. "I wish I could do anything to stop this."

Lyanna faintly smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure Gaius will find a cure. I'll be fine soon," she assured her, which seemed to work a bit. "Please tell me a nice story to keep me entertained." Morgana did as she asked. After several minutes Gwen returned with a platter of tea cups, and sat down on the foot of the bed, participating in the conversation. Lyanna felt slightly better because of that because her mind was too occupied to worry.

They sat there for what felt like hours and Lyanna was now pacing through the chamber to stretch her legs with a blanket around her shoulders. Once she caught sight of her father walking through the square with Arthur in his arms she felt her heart sink. Especially when Merlin and Gaius followed him. Uther collapsed in grief but four knights came to bear Arthur inside as the King wept on his knees.

"Oh no," Lyanna gasped in utter shock. Her biggest fear had just come true and she didn't know what she could do. She wanted to storm into her brother's chambers but she was convinced that no one would let her in. Especially not when she was feeling like this. Both Gwen and Morgana left her alone to see what was going on, while Lyanna sat back on the edge of her bed. Tears were roaming freely down her cheek.

She didn't know how long she sat there but eventually she heard someone enter her chamber, but she didn't feel like turning her head. Someone sat down beside her and she felt two familiar arms pulling her into a tight embrace. She buried her head into his chest as she took in his scent and let his nice body temperature warm her up a little. "I was too late," he sobbed, his hands running through her head.

"It's not your fault, Merlin," she reassured him, her voice still hoarse.

He gently took her head in his hands so that she was looking directly into his eyes. "Can you please tell me what's wrong with you," he insisted. "And I want the truth this time."

Lyanna knew she couldn't deny him anything. "Gaius doesn't know what's wrong with me. I feel like I'm swimming in a lake of ice water and I cannot warm up. But it's probably nothing severe. Maybe you can talk to Kilgharrah about Arthur. He might have an answer for you," she suggested, drawing the attention away from her. The last thing that she wanted was that he would be worrying about her.

Merlin rubbed the tears from her cheeks. "I'll be back," he told her and stormed out of her chamber, leaving Lyanna alone with her thoughts. She wrapped the blanket even tighter around her, immediately missing his warm body temperature. After a while she grew tired of being alone and went to her brother's chamber where she found her father sitting next to the bed. She hugged him in the hope to comfort him a little in these difficult times until Gaius entered the chamber to check up on Arthur. When he noticed no changes and left again, Lyanna followed him silently.

Gaius asked her no questions but simply wrapped his arm around her shoulder, understanding her struggling. He thought it was better anyway if he could keep a close eye on her and look after her himself. He handed her a cup of tea while she sat down next to the fireplace again. Eventually Lyanna fell asleep and Gaius tugged her underneath a blanket on the cot where she slept for a while. She woke up again in the middle of the night and slowly sat up straight. Next to the fireplace sat Merlin, probably lost in his own thoughts. Quietly she stood up and walked over to him and put fiddled with her fingers as she sat down beside him.

"Please talk to me," she insisted, immediately feeling warmer again.

"Kilgharrah told me to go to the Isle of the Blessed, where the power of the ancients can still be felt. There I will discover Arthur's salvation," he answered with a soft voice.

Her body felt even colder because of that. She knew enough about the Isle of the Blessed to get concerned. "You know there will be a price to be paid. The High Priests will demand a life in return. Merlin, please. I beg you to stay here."

"I can't," he replied. His voice was nothing but a whisper, but it put the chill into Lyanna's already cold skin. "I will gladly pay the price, whatever it is."

His answer caused Lyanna to softly break out into sobs as she threw her arms around him and cried into his chest. She had never been one for crying, but for some reason she dared to open herself up whenever she was around him. Her tears probably stained his red tunic, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead of pushing her away, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer to him. His head was resting on hers, and he softly whispered reassuring words in her ear, which tickled a little.

"I know that you want to do whatever you can to save Arthur, but don't you dare to bargain your own life for this. I'm going to hunt you in the afterworld if you do," she insured him. Merlin chuckled slightly, which made her feel a bit better. His trusted scent calmed Lyanna down who was able to ignore the cold and just focused on him. It didn't take long until Lyanna fell asleep again.

* * *

As she woke up around dawn the following morning she noticed she wasn't in her own chamber, and had once again ended up in Merlin's bed. Apparently he had carried her to bed again last night. The warlock was still fast asleep in the chair on the other side of the room and quietly smacked his lips. Lyanna wished that she could always see him this peaceful, and smiled happily at the thought. She gently leaped onto her feet and stroke his face which caused him to stir a little.

"Wake up, sunshine," she said cheerfully. His eyes shot open and he took in his surroundings. Once he saw her his cheeks flushed red. "Since I won't be there to see you leave later I'm going to say my goodbye now. Whatever happens there on the Isle of the Blessed, I want you to come back to me." If she weren't feeling so weak she would've joined him on this trip.

"I will come back," he promised her. At that a bright smile appeared on her face. She rose from the bed and left his chamber so that he could get dressed and prepare for his upcoming trip to the Isle of the Blessed. Lyanna returned to her own chamber and changed into a different dress so that no one would notice her absence. The cold had only gotten worse but she doing her absolute best to hide it for others.

She entered her brother's chambers and sat down next to the bed and grabbed his hand. His condition has only gotten worse since yesterday and it was only a matter of time before the bite of the Questing Beast would kill him. "I know you always complain about that horrible manservant of yours, but Merlin is going to do everything in his power to save you, Arthur," she told him, smiling proudly. "You can't leave me, Arthur. You just can't. You're destined to become the greatest King Camelot has ever known." If there was something which was Lyanna's biggest fear it was losing people she had come to care about. Just like she had lost Marie. She didn't want to go through that again.

Lyanna spent most of her day at Arthur's side, watching for changes but nothing happened. After dinner with Morgana and her father she went to the physician chambers to keep Gaius company. "You look even worse than yesterday," Gaius observed as he handed her a cup with tea.

"That's because I feel worse," she replied grimly. "I fear it's something serious, Gaius. And I don't know what to do about it."

He looked into her eyes. "We'll figure something out, my dear," he assured her. "Just do whatever you can to keep warm."

That night she slept like a little child and didn't wake up once. It was around dawn when she was already dressed and staring out of the window and felt her heart warm up when she saw Merlin riding onto the courtyard. Immediately she hurried out of her chamber and though the palace corridors until she found bellow the main stairway.

"You came back to me," she exclaimed cheerfully, pulling the warlock into a tight embrace. He gladly returned the hug, loving the feeling of having her in his arms.

"I promised you that I did," he helped her remember. She carefully pulled back and their gazes locked.

"What happened?" she asked, lowering her voice.

He handed her the decorative canteen. "We need to give this to Arthur. It's water drawn from the Cup of Life. If Arthur drinks from it, he will recover."

There wasn't any time to ask him how he had obtained this because the two sorcerers were already running through the corridors of the palace until they reached her brother's chambers. While Merlin held Arthur's head still Lyanna brought the canteen to his lips and let the liquid slide into his throat.

Then the door went open and a confused King entered. "What are you doing, Lyanna? What are you giving him?"

Lyanna spun around. "It's a… It's a tincture made from the lobelia plant, and ancient remedy for poisonous bites, Father," she lied in the best way that she could. It was for the best that he didn't know what it was.

"A cure?"

"We hope."

Uther walked over to the bed. "Do you really think it will have some effect, my dear?"

"It's our last resort, Sire." Lyanna gave the rest of the water to Arthur to make sure that he had drunk everything. She then turned to her father. "It might take some time to work. Perhaps you should allow Arthur to rest."

"I will not leave him," Uther responded headstrong. The King sat down next to the bed while Lyanna and Merlin quietly left the room. They went to the physician chambers where they informed Gaius about what had happened. When they were finished Gaius left them to check up on Arthur.

Lyanna was once again seated next to the fireplace. Merlin wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. "You're condition has only gotten worse, am I right?" he asked, sounding rather upset. He sat down next to her so that he could look at her. "I know you don't want to admit that something is wrong with you because you don't want people to worry about you, or because of what's going on with your brother. You can be honest with me, Lyanna."

"Unfortunately, yes," she muttered in return. Her lips had colored blue and it cost her a lot of effort not to start shivering thanks to the cold inside her body. "We still don't know what it is. But I hope Gaius can help me find a cure. You shouldn't worry about me." She didn't want to tell him that she was scared. If he knew about that he would certainly be worried and would risk his own life to protect her. That was not what she wanted. They sat there together for a while until Merlin grew restless and he began to pace through the physician chambers. Eventually Gaius entered the room and both sorcerers looked at him, hoping that their treatment had worked.

"The prince lives," Gaius announced.

The emotions of the past days were working overtime in both of them, and they couldn't help but cry at that good news. Arthur would live.

* * *

That evening Lyanna entered her brother's chambers and found him sitting up straight in his bed. Her emotions were driving her crazy and she pulled him into a tight embrace and tried not to crush him. "I thought I had lost you there for a moment," she admitted truthfully.

"You wouldn't get rid of me that easy," he replied and slowly let go off her. "But what on earth is the matter with you? You feel like ice!"

Lyanna cursed inwardly sat down next to the bed. "Nothing to concern you, Arthur. I'm just feeling a bit cold," she replied, covering the truth. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better now actually. Did you know that Gwen was here when I was unconscious and that she spoke to me? She talked to me about the man I am inside and that she had never lost faith in me. Can you believe that?" He was kind of grinning as he told her about it.

"I can believe it. Even though it may not look like it, Gwen has indeed always believed you will make a great King one day. As for the record I do as well. Your time among men wasn't over yet, Arthur. You've got a long road to travel yet." As she talked Lyanna covered her mouth a little behind her hand, but because it was rather dark in the room Arthur didn't notice that her lips had changed color.

He smiled. "You surely are filled with wisdom, my dear sister." She couldn't help but address him a warm smile in return for that. "Did I miss anything while I was unconscious?"

She shook her head. "Nothing special happened. I just spent some time with Gaius looking for a cure. It wasn't easy to find it. The bite of the Questing Beast is a lethal one. You were lucky to be able to live and tell the tale, Arthur."

The two siblings continued to talk for a while until it was getting late. Lyanna returned to her own chambers where she tried to get some sleep, but it wouldn't come to her. She kept worrying about the death that needed to be repaid for saving Arthur's life. It was still early when she entered the physician chambers. Gaius was snoring loudly from the cot he was lying on, as Lyanna quietly walked past him and into Merlin's chambers. She had to make sure he was alright.

Merlin was lying in his bed, a small piece of parchment in his hand. It didn't take long until Lyanna had figured out the pieces. But when she looked at him she couldn't be angry. Instead she felt much better when she noticed how peaceful he looked, and smiled faintly at the warlock. She sat down on the edge of his bed. "Merlin, you've got to wake up," she quietly said. He heard her voice and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw her sitting a smile appeared on his lips and he tried to sit up straight. "You bargained your own life to save Arthur's, did you not?"

He nodded after a moment. "It was the only thing that you could do to save him. I was expecting to die this night to pay the price," he clarified.

Her eyebrows knitted together. "So in fact you completely ignored what I asked from you." She really couldn't get mad. If she had been in his shoes she would've done the exact same thing to save her brother because she knew that was more important than her own life.

"It wasn't my intention, Lyanna. I wanted to come back to you more than anything, but I had to save Arthur's life. He's life is worth more than mine will ever be. I wouldn't be missed when I'm gone."

"I would miss you," she choked out. Her hazel orbs met his sky blue ones. "Doesn't that matter to you?"

"Of course it would," he admitted truthfully. Merlin resisted the urge to pull her into an embrace again. He had to remember that she was a princess and he was just a simple commoner. "I'm sorry if I've hurt you with my choice."

She paused until a faint smile touched her blue lips. Lyanna stood up and headed towards the door. "I'm just glad you're still alive." She opened the door and walked out of his chamber and was shocked when she saw Gaius crouching over a collapsed figure. Lyanna quickly hurried over to them and found out that it was Hunith and that she was covered in sores. Whatever had happened to this woman she gravely ill.

At that moment Merlin rushed out of his room. "Gaius! I'm alive!" he exclaimed ecstatic. Lyanna felt colder than before, not knowing what to say to him. "What is it? What's happened?"

"Merlin, stay there," Gaius ordered.

But Merlin ignored him and walked over to them to see what was going on. "What's wrong?"

"No, don't," Lyanna interfered, trying to control her hoarse voice. But once again he ignored them and saw his mother lying on the floor, struggling to breathe.

"Mother," he cried out, with agony in his voice. Hunith called out the name of her son, sounding relieved to see him. Merlin sat down beside them. "What's happened to her?"

"She's gravely ill," Lyanna informed him.

"Do something," Merlin said, sounding completely desperate. He couldn't lose his mother like that.

"If we could. This is no ordinary illness," Gaius responded. His voice was surprisingly calm, even though it was his sister lying there on the floor, fighting for her life. "Who did you meet on the Isle of the Blessed?"

"Nimueh," the warlock responded.

"Nimueh?" Lyanna repeated. She knew well enough that this had been the High Priestess that had been responsible for the disease that spread through the water supply of Camelot months ago, which had caused the deaths of many innocent people. Including that of Marie.

"It was as you said. She demanded a price, but I bargained my life, not my mothers," Merlin clarified. Lyanna was stunned. If he had indeed bargained his own life, then why was Hunith the victim? It didn't make sense to her.

Lyanna sighed. "I'm sorry, Merlin. I wish that there was something that we could do. For now we can only put her in a bed and make it as comfortable for her as we can."

"I will make you better. I will," Merlin promised his mother. He stormed out of the room after that. Gaius and Lyanna gently carried Hunith to Merlin's bed in the other room. Lyanna tended the women's sores by placing some special ointment on it to stop the pain from getting worse.

Lyanna stayed at Hunith's side for a while, talking to the woman in a reassuring way. "I've always thought that we would meet again under better circumstances," Hunith said with a faint voice.

Lyanna looked at her, surprised that she was even talking at all. "I had hoped the same thing," she replied, a small sigh rolling over her lips. "I wish I could help you."

"You shouldn't feel guilty. You're doing whatever you can," Hunith responded, her voice nothing but a whisper. "I'm just glad to see that you're on Merlin's side. He's indeed rather fond of you."

She still remembered the conversation she had with Merlin's mother when they were in Ealdor to stop Kanen and his men. Hunith had noticed that the two of them cared a great deal about each other and had even given her some advice. This woman had been nothing but kind to her. "We're still good friends," she replied, smiling. "And that's what we will be."

Hunith surprised her by slowly grabbing her hand, and gently squeezing it. "You shouldn't beat yourself up about it, my dear. But if you truly care for him you shouldn't ignore your feelings. That won't ever do you any good. In fact I wish something would happen between the two of you. I've already accepted you as my family." She could see Hunith smiling. "You're good for my son. He's happy when he's with you."

Lyanna returned the squeeze, startled by this answer. She couldn't believe that Hunith truly saw her in such a manner. "I see you as family as well," Lyanna admitted honestly. "But I believe we've spoken enough for now. You should get some rest."

She put her head back into the pillow and closed her eyes. It didn't take long until Hunith's irregular breathing filled the room. Lyanna picked up a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders, growing tired of the constant cold. She couldn't hold in the shivering anymore. Her lips clattered quietly as she grabbed a candle and lit it by using her magic, and held it close to her. She didn't want to sit next to the fireplace now, not when Hunith was lying here.

For an unknown while Lyanna continued to sit there, watching over Hunith from the corner of the room. She didn't notice any visible changes, only that her breathing was growing louder, just like her own was doing. When she heard Merlin and Gaius bantering in the other room.

"You are young. Your gifts, your destiny are far too precious to sacrifice," Gaius said.

"My destiny? This is my mother. My powers mean nothing if I cannot save her. You have taught me and Lyanna so much. Taught us who were are. Taught us the purpose of our skills. Taught us that magic should only be used for great deeds. But most of all, you have always taught us to do what is right." There fell a silence in the other room. "I need to say goodbye to Arthur." The door slam shut again, the sign that Merlin had left.

Lyanna felt tears burning in her eyes. This couldn't be happening. Merlin would once again bargain his own life to save that of someone else, but this time he wouldn't return. She would never see his smile again, or hear his laughter. He wasn't even gone yet and she already felt the pain inside her chest swelling. She completely understood the reason he had for doing this. If it was here she would've done the same. But that didn't make it easier. She couldn't let him throw his own life away. There had to be a way around.

Time flew by while Lyanna thought of a way to stop all this, while she listened to Hunith's breathing. After a while the door of the room slowly opened and Merlin entered the room. "Gaius has gone out to get some supplies. I'm keeping an eye on her until you got back," Lyanna announced.

"Thank you."

"I'm really sorry, Merlin. I've tried to make her comfortable. We even talked for a bit," Lyanna replied, wrapping the blanket tighter.

Merlin didn't say anything, but sat down next to his bed. "I'm going to make you well again. I promise. You'll see," he promised. The pain in his voice was hearable, making it difficult for Lyanna to hold in her tears. She didn't want to interfere with their conversation, so slowly rose from her chair, trying to make as little sound as she could and walked out of the room without getting noticed. Then it hit her. There was only one thing that she could do that would save both Hunith and Merlin. She had to bargain her own life in the order to save theirs. She walked over to the table and grabbed a pierce of parchment and wrote a letter to Merlin.

_Dear Merlin,_

_By the time that you'll be reading this I'll be on my way to the Isle of the Blessed to meet Nimueh. My life is already near its end. There has, for the most part, been very little purpose to it, very little that will be remembered. I've been more ill than I thought that I was, so I thought it was for the better that I would bargain my own life so that I can save you. You're destined for amazing things, Merlin. You'll have Gaius who teaches you the tenets of life. If you do, I will honestly believe you'll become the greatest warlock to have ever walked this earth. To have known you has been my greatest pleasure, and to sacrifice myself for you and your mother is but an honor. You're the only person who ever accepted me for who I truly am._

_I don't want you to mourn me. I want you to remember the memories that we have together and that you find strength in that. Also you should make sure that Arthur keeps both of his feet on the ground and that he'll become a wonderful King one day._

_I am convinced that will meet again in another world, Merlin. A world were we'll be accepted for who we are and nothing can come between us. My heart belongs to you, Merlin. I shall count the days until we see each other again. Just remember that I will always believe in you. Please look after Gaius and Gwen for me._

_Yours truly, Lyanna._

She folded the letter and wrote his name on the front before putting the letter on the table, certain that he would find it in the morning. All the feelings that she had she had tried to put into this letter, making sure that he knew what she truly felt for him. She still had mixed feelings, but she knew that she cared more about him than anyone and that was enough for her. Once she was done she left the physician chambers and returned to her own chambers where she started to change into some travel gear and began to gather her supplies.

When she had everything Lyanna snuck past the guards and left the castle behind. She had to make sure she had a head start in case Merlin would find the letter soon and would decide to come after her. She galloped through the forest on Lumiere's back and they rushed between the trees. Even now she still shivered because of the cold she felt, but chose to ignore it by going faster. Once she had bargained her own life she could rest. Forever.

For hours she rode and rode, not resting one moment. Luckily enough she knew the way because she had been there before with a patrol, but that had been quite some years ago. That wasn't to confront a High Priestess.

She went further to the South-West, near the Great Seas of Meredhor until she found the Isle of the Blessed. She stood still before a large lake. The sun was rising and a fog was covering her sight. A small boat was tied to a dock. From the tales Lyanna was well aware what she needed to do.

Lyanna dismounted Lumiere and tied her horse to a nearby tree and immediately felt the cold wash through her body before she climbed into the small boat. "Astyre," she said. The boat began to move and she sat down in it. As she sailed closer across the water she felt more scared about what she was going to face there. She swallowed her fear as her teeth softly clattered together. Her illness was only growing worse and Lyanna was well aware that she wouldn't have long before she wasn't able to breathe anymore. It was for the best that she would bargain her own life while it was still worth something.

The bell on the front of the bed clanged because of the strong wind, driving Lyanna insane. She quickly burned the bell by using magic so that she could only hear the sound of the wind. As Lyanna looked at the Isle of the Blessed she noticed what a grave look it had. There was no sign of any living animal. No wonder no one liked to come here. She felt more depressed by simply looking at it.

The boat brought her closer to the island and stopped at a small dock. The princess jumped out of the boat and climbed up the stairs in the tower. The stairs leaded her to the center of the island. Here she found the ruins of the castle that once stood here, which had probably got destroyed in the Great Purge. In the middle stood a couple of rune stones that surrounded a stone table.

"I was already wondering when you would finally show your face here, Lady Lyanna," a female voice said. Lyanna turned her head and saw a beautiful woman with dark hair standing in front of her. She was wearing a damaged pink dress, and her hair was rather tangled. But Lyanna feared her because she knew who she was.

"You're Nimueh," Lyanna stated, trying to let no emotions be hearable in her voice.

The High Priestess grinned sheepishly. "How clever you are. I didn't expect that a daughter of Uther Pendragon would be so bright."

She clenched her fists. Obviously this woman had a difficult history with her father. "What happened between you and my father that made you hate him?"

Nimueh began to pace. "Many years ago I was a court sorcerer in Camelot. For years your parents have tried to get children, but they discovered that Ygraine was unable to bare children. Your father came to me and I used magic to allow Ygraine to conceive a child. But the Queen died in childbirth when the conceived twins. Your father was outraged and blamed me for it. He didn't know that by using magic to create a life, another life had to take its place. I hadn't foreseen that Ygraine's life would be the price. But Uther didn't listen to me. The grief-stricken Uther turned against me, accusing me of treason and banished me from Camelot. He then began the Great Purge, ordering the execution of hundreds of sorcerers, both good and evil," the witch explained. Lyanna could only watch her with widened eyes. This surely was a tale she hadn't heard before. "If I had foreseen her death, and the terrible retribution he would seek, I would've never granted his wish."

Lyanna swallowed loudly. "So that's why you seek revenge?"

"Your father began this war when he threw me from court and slaughtered all of my kind. He's different than us, Lyanna. He will never understand. Uther deserves to die for what he has done," Nimueh told her, nearly fuming from anger.

"But why did you use the Questing Beast to kill Arthur? It doesn't make any sense."

"Because there is nothing in this world Uther cares more about than his children. I can hurt him by hurting them." Nimeuh laughed devilishly at that. "I've hurt you as well."

Lyanna clenched her fists. "You mean to say that you've hurt me as well in order to hurt my father? How is that possible? What did you do?" Lyanna fell onto her knees, feeling her strength slipping out of her body.

"Are you feeling a bit cold?" the High Priestess asked, enjoying this conversation. Her eyes were sparkling with delight as she saw the princess kneeled on the ground. She was nothing but a shade of who she once was. Defenseless. Weak. "It's one of the side effects when someone freezes your heart." Lyanna looked up at her, with lips as blue as the sea. "I casted this curse many years ago. You would be a coldhearted person just like your father is. Eventually you would find one person who could warm up your heart a little, but it would never be enough to break the curse. I increased the power of the curse a couple of days ago and thought it would be fun if Uther would lose both of his children at the same time. You shouldn't worry, dear princess. There is a cure for this. Only a kiss from your true love can thaw your heart and save you."

Immediately Lyanna's thought flashed to Merlin. He had told her how radically she had changed when she had met him. Apparently he wasn't her true love because they had kissed before and her heart was still frozen. That meant that there was someone else.

Nimueh grinned once more. "You had no choice when you fell in love with Emrys. It was foretold since the beginning of time that it would happen. The destiny of Emrys and Darya. No matter how hard you try, there will be no way to deny your feelings. The two of you need each other like the sun needs the moon. One cannot breathe without the other. Only a kiss from him could save you."

Lyanna needed a moment to let those words sink. If Merlin was indeed her true love he would've been able to break the curse, but he hadn't. If it was indeed love between them it wasn't real, and only a substitute of their imagination.

"You already kissed him and now you're wondering if he's really your true love," Nimueh noticed. This entire situation was surely entertaining the High Priestess. "That's because you hadn't opened up your heart at the time. You have to accept his love in order to break the curse," she clarified smugly.

Lyanna entire body felt even colder and she couldn't stop shivering. It didn't matter now anymore because her time on this earth was running out. She couldn't fight the witch. Nimueh was far too powerful and Lyanna was almost out of strength. "I didn't come here to get love advice from a High Priestess. I came here because Merlin bargained his own life a few days ago in the order to save Arthur, only you took the life of his mother. I'm willing to give my own life for hers."

Nimueh laughed amused. "How brave you are, Darya, witch of the moon. I shall do you the honor of granting you your last wish." She heard Nimueh laugh loudly. "**Ic, séo héahsácerd, pe ácwile strengpe ealdan æwfæstnesse!**" Dark clouds formed in the air above them and Lyanna did her absolute best to keep breathing as she watched how big rain drops fell down, and splattered on her face. Lyanna sat down against the stone table as life slowly left her body. She was succumbed by darkness as she let her head fall down on the ground. It was over.

* * *

Alas her part in this story was not over yet. Lyanna felt how someone cradled her and shook her a couple of times in the hope to wake her up. "Lyanna. Come back to me," the masculine voice begged desperately. Lyanna was convinced this voice belonged to an angel. "I cannot lose you." Whoever this angel was he was crying and angels weren't meant to cry. Lyanna stirred slightly but felt something burning inside her chest when she felt the angel kissing her softly. She let out a cry as light appeared from her chest. All the cold inside her had faded. She felt her strength returning and looked astonished when she was able to breathe properly again. The cold had disappeared and had been replaced with a nice and comfortable warmth._ The kiss had worked!_

She slowly opened her eyes so that she could reassure this angel that everything was alright, when she looked into two familiar blue orbs. "Merlin," she gasped with a very faint voice. All the memories of her encounter with Nimueh came back to her mind. This wasn't heaven and she surely wasn't dead.

"When I woke up this morning and found your letter in which you wrote that you had gone to the Isle of the Blessed to give up your own lives to save that of my mother. I understood the reason that you had to make that choice, but I was devastated. I thought I had lost you and chose to come here to stop you. I couldn't let you do it. But when I came here you were unconscious, and life was slowly leaving you. I fought Nimueh and defeated the witch. The balance of the world has been restored. You're safe now," Merlin nearly cried from happiness when he saw that she was alive. That explained why she hadn't died and was very much alive. "I'm going to take you home now."

She didn't argue with them and let Merlin lift her up into his arms. The entire ride back to Camelot she was seated in the front of Merlin's saddle because she was still feeling rather limp, while Merlin pulled Lumiere along with him by his reigns as he rode his own horse. When they had returned to Camelot he escorted her back to her chamber and helped her into her bed so that the princess could rest. Lyanna's gaze lingered to Merlin who was still standing in the corner of her bedroom. A tension was growing between them which needed to be resolved. "You kissed me," she stated simply, breaking the silence.

Merlin's sky blue eyes widened. "I—I uhm –" he stammered nervously.

"The reason that I had been feeling so cold lately was because Nimueh had cursed me years ago. She had made it stronger a couple of days ago because she enjoyed hurting Uther's children. Anyway she said that only a true love's kiss would be able to heal me. I was already close to dying so I quickly bargained my own life to save that of your mother. I slipped into darkness but then someone kissed me. The cold faded from my body and I felt my strength returning. When I opened my eyes I saw you. You were the one that kissed me."

Her information sure was a lot to take in for Merlin who needed a moment. "Are you saying that a true love's kiss cured you?" he asked unsure, fidgeting with his fingers.

Lyanna shrugged with her shoulders. "I'm not sure. We kissed before and if it really was true love than the curse should've been broken back then, but it didn't. Nimueh knew that and said that was because I hadn't opened up my heart at the time. I had to accept your love in order to break the curse."

Their gazes remained intensely locked while Merlin walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. "So that means you've opened your heart now?" he wondered.

She smiled faintly. "I believe so. Merlin, you know that I care greatly about you. Perhaps as more than friends, but I'm not sure. My feelings are still a blur. Even if I did like you in such a manner it could never happen. I am to wed a nobleman one day and you will find someone special one day who will gladly become your wife." For a moment she felt kind of hurt by what she said, but she waved it away with another smile. "I can only give you friendship."

"I know and I wouldn't wish for anything else," he responded and flashed her his trademark smile, but she noticed the hurt in his eyes. He was trying to act brave and she pretended to believe him.

"Anyway thank you for everything that you've done for me back at the Isle of the Blessed. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I owe you a great debt, Merlin," she replied gratefully.

"I just couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I'm sorry that I got Arthur involved into all this," he apologized, sounding sincere.

Lyanna licked her lips. "Don't be. I'm sure it must've been fun to knock him out." Merlin laughed merrily at that and she joined him. "If you don't mind if should get some rest, I'm still feeling tired from being cursed."

"Sure. Sleep well, Lady Lyanna," he said in his sing-song voice. He addressed her another warm smile before he walked out of the door to do some chores. As soon as Lyanna placed her head on the pillow she was succumbed by darkness and let sleep overwhelm her.

* * *

**Alas, that is the ending of series 1! I cannot believe that we've finished that so fast. I wanted to do something different for the ending so that is why I decided to let Nimueh curse Lyanna so that Merlin could be the hero. We shall go onwards with series 2 which will include a lot more Myanna and the relationship between them will surely develop properly ;) Right now only Merlin is convinced of his feelings for Lyanna and it's scaring him. But these two stubborn heads will figure it out soon ;-)**


	15. The Curse of Cornelius Sigan

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Bless everyone who takes the time to read this story! I love all of you with my entire heart and I wish that I could hug you all for it!

**A/N- **Sorry it's a shorter chapter this time, but I didn't have much time to write something more. Anyway comments are going to be at the bottom ;)

**Please enjoy this new chapter!**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Curse of Cornelius Sigan**

Months had gone by since the incident at the Isle of the Blessed and since Merlin had kissed her and stopped the curse. Things between them hadn't changed and they were still close friends, and that was exactly what Lyanna wanted. Their days were pretty much the same as before. Almost every day Merlin was busy with serving Arthur, while Lyanna divided her time by assisting Gaius, training with the knights and spending some time with her father or Gwen and Morgana. When they did have some time to themselves they often locked themselves in Lyanna's room where they practiced some magic together so that their powers would grow. No threat had come to Camelot so the months had gone by quietly. Things were finally looking up here.

It was late in the evening when Lyanna was seated in the physician chambers, mixing two potions together as she observed the change of colour in the vial. She had been experimenting with potions with Gaius, but the old physician had fallen asleep on the cot behind her, and his soft snoring was the only sound that she heard. But that didn't stop her, and she drew some notes on a piece of parchment so that she would remember what she had discovered.

The door of the room swung open and Merlin entered the room. By the way that he was looking Lyanna could detect that something was wrong. "Oh no," she cried out softly. "What is it this time?"

"I need to wake up Gaius first," Merlin told her. He walked over to the cot and shook the shoulders of the old man, who quickly sat up straight to see what was going on. "Gaius, I need you and Lyanna to come with me. There is something that I need to show you."

Without any hesitation Lyanna and Gaius stood up and followed Merlin out of the physician chambers, wondering what was so important the he would come to fetch them at this forsaken hour at night. Merlin leaded them through the palace and bellow the castle. A couple of days ago Uther had given the order to dig underneath the castle, but did not tell a reason why.

Lyanna used her magic to light up a torch so that they could see where go were going as they walked through the tunnels. Merlin guided them into a small chamber which Lyanna recognized as a tomb. It was filled with all kinds of treasures and in the middle stood a tomb. On the ground lay a dead man and the princess kneeled beside him to observe him. "How do you think he died?" Merlin asked her.

"I'm not sure. I cannot see what may've caused this," Lyanna replied doubtfully. "Do you know whose tomb this is?" She looked up at the physician.

Gaius stood still next to the tomb. "Not sure." He raised one of his eyebrows as he looked around him.

"Do you think it might be cursed?" Merlin wondered.

The old physician remained silent went to look closer to the tomb when he accidently stepped on a stone that was a trap, which caused an arrow to be shot at him. Merlin reacted immediately and stopped the arrow by lifting a golden plate with his magic to block it as Lyanna dared to breathe again.

"You just saved my life," Gaius gasped speechless. "Thank you."

The voices of Uther and Arthur came closer. Merlin managed to drop the golden plate on the ground which landed right on Uther's feet. "Idiot," the King muttered as he walked past him.

"Were you born clumsy or do you work at it?" Arthur questioned, trying to offend his servant as he followed his father.

"It's just one of my many gifts," Merlin told him, flashing a bright smile as his eyes locked with Lyanna who had to hold in her laughter. She didn't believe those two. Over the last year she had gotten quite used to their usual banters. They often behaved like a married couple.

"Well this is quite a find," Uther said in astonishment. "You see, Gaius. I was right. There is treasure to be found under Camelot. Which of my predecessors do I have to thank for all this?" The King walked over to the tomb and looked at the blue heart which was placed on the sceptre, which sparkled like diamonds. "Gaius?"

"Uh, I'd have to look into it, Sire," the physician mumbled in return.

Uther noticed the deceased man on ground. "How did he die?"

"He seems to have unwittingly triggered a trap here, Father," Lyanna told him. She couldn't believe that her father was digging under his own castle to look for treasure when he already had more than enough. He was greedier than she thought he was. "To deter grave robbers."

"Well, there's plenty in here people would want to steal," the King agreed as he picked up a golden cup so that he could watch it closely. "Have them secure the tomb. Guarding it will be your responsibility, Arthur."

"Yes, Father," Arthur said.

The following morning she walked through the palace corridors together with Merlin. The servant was carrying some supplies. Arthur had asked her to come along with him on a hunt, which she had gladly accepted. The occasional hunts she went on her were her escapes from Camelot, and she enjoyed them.

A surprisingly warm sun greeted them as they walked out of the castle and onto the courtyard. "Hurry up, Merlin," Arthur ordered. His servant immediately rushed to him and kneeled down next to his horse so that Arthur could easier mount his horse. Once the prince was seated in the saddle, the saddle let loose and Arthur fell onto the ground and the horse ran off.

"I don't understand," Merlin stated as Lyanna helped her brother back onto his feet.

"Well, there's a surprise," the prince muttered.

"I did that girth up myself."

"Well, I think that might have been the problem!" Arthur supplied annoyed.

Lyanna rolled with her eyes and stepped between them but at that moment a stranger returned Arthur's horse. He had long dark hair, and was taller than they were. "Would you like me to fit the girth properly for you, Sire?" he asked politely as he returned the horse. Arthur thanked him. "It's an honour to be of service to the prince and princess."

"An honour. Do you hear that Merlin?" Arthur asked teasingly, letting him know that the way this man behaved was the right one.

The princess crossed her arms. She thought that it was quite a coincidence that this man that no one had seen before had shown up at a moment like this. "What's your name?" she asked, participating in the conversation.

"It's Cedric, My Lady," he introduced himself and turned to Arthur. "Allow me the honour of brushing your clothes down." Cedric began to brush Arthur's clothes and the prince mouthed 'the honour' to his servant, enjoying himself. Lyanna noticed that Merlin was rather uncomfortable because of this situation. "Is there anything else that I can do for you, Sire?"

"Well, you can give Merlin here a kick up the backside," Arthur suggested. Lyanna rolled with her eyes again and slapped her brother on the back of his head. When he looked at her she shook is off by smiling innocent.

"I wouldn't wish to deprive you of the pleasure, Sire."

Arthur laughed at that. "What brings you to Camelot?" Lyanna quickly asked, changing the subject before they would both hurt poor Merlin. She felt it her duty to keep the warlock safe from all harm from her brother.

"I've come here in search of work." His answer made sense. Many people came to Camelot in the hope to find a job. Some of them were lucky, other's weren't. Times weren't that easy.

"Good." Arthur gently slapped him on his shoulder. "You can be a beater on the hunt. We're short of a man or two."

Merlin picked up a beater and walked over to Cedric. "Here. You'll need a beater." He slammed the beater in Cedric's stomach, but made sure that it looked like an accident. "Oh, sorry." But the grin on his face told Lyanna that he had done it on purpose and she shook her head when he stood still beside her.

"You're jealous," she stated, chuckling lightly.

"I am not," Merlin objected in return.

Lyanna placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's quite obvious by the way you're looking at this moment, but there is nothing to be ashamed about. Let's keep it between us shall we?" She gave him a teasing wink before she mounted Lumiere. The rambunctious steed snorted ecstatic when she patted his strong neck.

Shortly after that Arthur gave the signal for the group to leave. They rode out of town and into the forest. Once they had reached a nearby clearing they tied their horses to a couple of trees to start their hunt. Some of the knights were carrying crossbows while others carried spears, just like the siblings. A few of the men, including Merlin, were using their beaters the lure out the prey.

Lyanna stopped walking when she was able to hear a boar nearby and gave her brother the signal. Seconds later the others heard the boar whine and the company came to a halt. Arthur signalled to a few of his men that they had to close in on the boar. As they continued to walk again the angry boar stormed out of the bushes and ran towards them.

The boar was surprisingly big and most men were too frightened to react. Lyanna threw her spear, but didn't manage to pierce its skin. As the boar got closer Lyanna could hear Merlin beside her use his magic. "**Flíe fǽgð**." A spear flew through the air and hit the boar right in its chest. The animal collapsed on the ground right before it would reach Arthur.

Everyone slowly dared to breathe again. "Who threw that?" the prince wanted to know. No one answered. Arthur turned to some of his knights who only shook their heads. Eventually Cedric coughed. "Was it you?" He nodded while Lyanna and Merlin looked confused. "You just saved my life."

"Honestly, Sire. It was nothing." Cedric stretched himself a little as if it was something he did on a daily basis.

Arthur closed the distance between them. "I shall be forever indebted to you. You must be rewarded," he began. "Come on. What do you wish for?"

"I desire only one thing, Sire. A position in the royal household."

"Good. Consider it done." He gently shook the men's shoulder and laughed before he walked off.

Cedric walked over to Merlin. "You can have that back." He hit Merlin in the stomach with the beater in the same way the warlock had done earlier. "Oh, sorry."

Once everyone was slowly walking away to continue the hunt Lyanna turned to Merlin. "Well then because no one saw that it was you who threw the spear, let me be the one to thank you for what you did." She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before anyone would see it. "You saved my brother's life."

"I could get used to getting rewarded like this," the warlock grinned in return, which caused her to give him a friendly stomp against his shoulder. "I just cannot believe Cedric would lie like that to get a position in the royal household."

"Yeah, me neither. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Come now. We shouldn't keep Arthur waiting," Lyanna suggested. Both sorcerers followed the rest of the hunting group which was nearby. Lyanna managed to hit a deer and three conies with her bow, but that was all that the group managed to catch after a couple of hours of wandering through the forest until Arthur had enough. They returned to Camelot shortly after that and together with Merlin the princess entered the physician chambers. She was hoping to help Gaius with something.

"What's wrong?" Gaius asked when he saw his ward slumping and sighing as he entered the chamber.

"I saved Arthur's life, someone else got the credit. Just the usual," Merlin responded, taking off his satchel and placing it next to the table. "What are you doing?"

"I found this inscription on the sceptre."

Lyanna and Merlin walked over to him and looked at the pierce of paper he was holding. "What language is that?" Lyanna asked when she was not being able to read what was written on it.

"I don't know," Gaius retorted. "Sigan would've known many languages." The princess tensed up, recognizing that name from ancient stories.

"Sigan? Who is he?" Merlin asked puzzled.

"Sigan was the most powerful sorcerer to have ever lived," Lyanna told him. She remembered the tale of the sorcerer quite well and how it had frightened her when she had been little. Arthur often used to bother her when they had been children.

"You didn't grow up in Camelot, but for those of us that did, Cornelius Sigan was a figure of nightmare," Gaius informed them. "It was because of his powers. He could change the day into night, turn the tides and legend has it, his spells helped build Camelot itself."

Lyanna and Merlin sat down beside the physician. "What happened?" Merlin wondered.

"In the end he grew too powerful and the King at that time ordered his execution."

"If he's dead, why are you so worried?"

"Sigan couldn't bear the thought that his wealth and power would die with him so he became obsessed with finding a way to defeat death itself," Gaius responded.

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows together. "And do you think that he might have succeeded?" she questioned.

"Let's hope not, for all our sakes." The physician left them to speak with the King while Lyanna remained behind with Merlin. She studied the inscription and looked through several books in the hope to find the language it was written in, but wasn't that lucky.

* * *

Hour later, after taken a long bath, Lyanna felt refreshed. She decided to join her brother on a walk through the lower town. They were being halted several times by some villagers who wanted to talk to the royal siblings. Lucy was tugging onto Lyanna's skirt causing the princess to look down at her. A wide grin appeared onto her face as she lifted the seven year old girl into her arms. Ever since Marie had died she had hardly seen the girl anymore.

"You sure have grown," Lyanna said impressed and ran her hand through Lucy's brown hair. The young girl was a true resemblance of her older sister and Lyanna felt her chest tighten because of it. "How are you?"

She nodded. "Good, Milady. Can you tell me a story?" Lucy asked. Her eyes were already big from excitement.

Lyanna flashed her a smile. "Sure, I would love to." She looked at her brother. "This won't be long," she said to him before she walked away with Lucy. They sat down on a small platform in the lower town nearby her small house. Lucy remained seated onto Lyanna's lap while the princess began to tell her an old story.

For a little while they sat there together until the sound of many horses hoofs hitting the pavement echoed across the streets. Both Lyanna and Lucy turned their heads and saw many horses galloping through the lower town. Several people had to duck aside so they wouldn't get hit. Lyanna pulled Lucy aside before she ran after Lumiere which she was able to catch easily before he would run away. As she tried to calm down her horse she wondered how it was possible that they had escaped. They were supposed to be tied up.

Once Lyanna had said farewell to Lucy she made her way over to the stables where she found her brother and Merlin standing with Cedric. She was too far away to hear what they were saying inside the stables, but Merlin stormed off. As he walked towards her she noticed that half of his face was covered in horse dung.

"What happened?" she asked concerned. Lyanna reached inside the pocket of her dress and began to rub the worst horse dung away with her handkerchief. "Are you alright?"

He bit his bottom lip. "I was mocking out the stables and suddenly I blacked out. I wake up later to find out that the horses had escaped. Your brother wasn't too pleased with me. Cedric is now taking over my duties for tonight. I also called Arthur a clotpole."

At that last part Lyanna had to stifle a giggle. "Hmm. And you don't remember falling asleep?" she wondered. He shook his head. "That sure is odd. But you shouldn't worry too much. I can guarantee you that Arthur most likely has forgotten about this ordeal in the morning. Right now you really need to take a bath to clean you face. I should be taking Lumiere back to stables. I'll check upon you later."

She watched how he walked away and headed towards the castle. Lyanna then made her way to the stables where she found Cedric in the presence of her brother. "Don't mind me, I'm just bringing back my horse," she muttered softly, but it didn't work.

"Yeah, that useless servant of mine managed to let all the horses escape while he took a nap. Luckily he fell into some horse dung with his face," Arthur sniggered.

Lyanna tied Lumiere to a pole before she turned to her brother, slightly irritated. "I highly doubt that Merlin would fall asleep during his work. You should trust him, Archie," was all that she said before she walked away.

That night after spending some time with Morgana and Gwen, Lyanna entered the physician chambers. She greeted Gaius before she entered the bedroom and found Merlin lying on his bed, fluttering through his spell book. It seemed that Merlin had taken a long bath. His hair was still damp and he smelled fresh compared to the horse dung from earlier that day. "I hope you're feeling better," Lyanna said as she said down beside him.

He looked up a bit startled because he hadn't heard her come in, but grinned nonetheless and closed his book to turn his attention to her. "Yeah, kind of," he muttered and shrugged a little.

Lyanna gave him a sceptical look. "There is no need to play games with me, Merlin. I know who you are. Can you please be honest with me?" she asked him. That was all that she wanted at that moment. She couldn't stand it to see him upset.

"I just want Arthur to trust me. And to see me for who I truly am," Merlin admitted truthfully and she was grateful that he was honest with her.

She carefully grabbed his hand. "One day he will," she assured him in a friendly manner.

"When? Everything I do is for him and he just thinks I'm an idiot."

"Not everyone thinks you're an idiot, Merlin. I honestly believe that you and Arthur are destined for greatness and that calling is to serve and protect him. And I'll be at your side to help you," she replied and addressed him a warm smile. "I know it's unfair that we have to hide who we are, but it will be over one day. I'm sure of it. Come now, I'll make you some tea." She pulled him onto his feet and was about to head towards the door when Merlin pulled her back against his chest. She opened her mouth to argue with him but he silenced her with a bright smile. Lyanna gently ran her fingers through his damp raven hair to put it into place before they walked out of his bedroom. Lyanna walked to the small kitchen where she began to prepare some tea while Merlin sat down beside Gaius.

"I've translated the inscription," the old physician began. "He who breaks my heart completes my work."

It gave Lyanna goosebumps. "What on earth does that mean?" she quizzed with her eyebrows knitted together.

"Do you remember the stone in the tomb, how it glowed?"

"Yeah, I've never seen a jewel like it," Merlin said.

Lyanna walked over to them and handed them both a mug of tea before she sat down on the opposite side of them, eager to hear more about this new discovery.

"That's because it's not a jewel, it's the soul of Cornelius Sigan," Gaius continued.

"You honestly think that he's alive?" Lyanna wondered and took a small sip from the raspberry tea, feeling herself warm up.

"His soul is. But in order to truly live, a soul needs a body."

Merlin raised one of his eyebrows. "So, if the stone is removed from its setting, then the heart is broken and the soul released?" he guessed.

Gaius slowly nodded. "That's what I fear."

For several hours Lyanna remained with them, fluttering through a couple of books until she got tired and retreated to her own chamber. It was in the middle of the night when Lyanna was sleeping that she awoke by the sound of a crow squawking loudly, which caused her to wake up. After that she wasn't able to fall asleep anymore so she silently practiced some magic by herself.

It was still early when Lyanna had taken a bath and had changed into the same clothes that she wore the previous day when there came a knock on the door. She knew that it wasn't Gwen because her servant was currently helping Morgana. Lyanna opened the door, only to find Arthur standing there. He looked alarmed.

"Something has happened in the tomb," he announced. Lyanna felt her throat gone dry and stepped out of her room so that she could follow him. They walked down the several stairs until they reached the tomb. Merlin and Gaius were also already there. Lyanna looked at Cornelius Sigan's tomb and noticed that the jewel was removed. "Sound the warning bell," Arthur said before he walked away.

Gaius found something on the ground and picked it up. It turned out to be the jewel. The blue colour had faded and now it was only white. "Whoever did this got more than they bargained for," the physician said.

"I don't understand how they got in. The gate's not even damaged." Merlin shrugged.

"Whoever did this must've gotten a key, and Arthur has the only one. But he keeps it on his belt with the others," Lyanna muttered puzzled. She didn't understand how someone could've gotten this place open. "He only takes it off when he's asleep and keeps it next to his bed."

"Who had access to his chamber last night?" Gaius wondered.

"Just me..." Merlin's voice trailed away when he realized something. "And... Cedric." With those words he stormed out of the tomb. He probably had an idea which he needed to do by himself.

Lyanna could not believe it. "If Cedric has stolen the key that means that he is the one who's responsible for breaking in here. But do you honestly believe that he is possessed by Cornelius Sigan's spirit?" she questioned. It seemed highly unlikely to her.

"I cannot say for certain, but the spirit from the jewel has been removed. It would seem like it that Cedrid is now possessed," Gaius responded convinced.

"I need to speak with Arthur," Lyanna said and picked up the skirt of her dress before she dashed away. Several servants had to duck aside when she stormed past them and up the stairs. She almost slammed open the door of her brother's chamber only to find Merlin and Cedric fighting.

Merlin had pinned Cedric on the ground, but the newcomer threw him aside so that Merlin landed against the prince of Camelot. Lyanna helped her brother onto his feet while Cedric crawled underneath the bed, and Merlin chose to follow him. This was madness.

As Merlin came out from under the bed, Arthur forced himself on his servants back to overthrow him. He pulled him onto his feet and held him tightly as he pushed him towards the door. "You've gone too far this time, Merlin. You can spend a few days cooling off in the cells! Guards!" he ordered.

Lyanna watched with mixed feelings how Merlin was being taken away to the cells by a couple of guards. Of course her brother wouldn't allow her from visiting him and she clenched her fists as she looked at Cedric. His eyes were as black as the night's sky, but it changed color so quickly again she almost thought she had imagined it.

* * *

Evening had fallen over Camelot and everything seemed like an ordinary night. Lyanna was seated on her bed in her own quarters as she tried to think of a solution to solve this current situation when heard people screaming outside. She peered through the window and saw several mysterious creatures flying through the air. Lyanna quickly changed into her armour and grabbed her sword before she stormed out of her bedroom.

Inside the throne room she found her brother standing with his knights before the King. "There's more than one, Father. We've had several reports. There's panic in the lower town. People are fleeing the city," Arthur informed them.

"Then you must hunt these creatures down and kill them," Uther ordered him. He then saw his daughter standing amongst the knights wearing her armour. "No, Lyanna. I forbid you from fighting. You need to stay here and tend the wounded men. You're skill as a physician is much more needed," he told her.

Lyanna sideglanced her brother, who gave her a look of sympathy. He ruffled though her hair before he walked away with his knights, ready to fight the beasts. The princess of Camelot pretended not to be offended while she stormed out of the room as well. Together with Gaius she prepared a temporary ward on the lower floor. Lyanna changed into some more comfortable clothes and returned to Gaius when the first injured people were being dragged in.

It didn't take long until the entire ward was swarming with people. Lyanna was tending some people by herself while Gwen assisted Gaius. Morgana made her way through the crowd and stopped before Lyanna, who looked stunned to see the King's ward here. "Morgana," she gasped relieved to see her friend here. "You shouldn't be doing this."

"It's exactly what I should be doing," Morgana responded and carefully helped a man onto the cot.

"You need to rest, Morgana," Gaius called from the other side of the ward. Lyanna was aware that Morgana had been receiving some nightmares again lately. She had mentioned a dream about a raven and how she had barely slept in days.

"And I'm likely to get it with all this going on," Morgana said. She was determined to help out in the best way that she could and Lyanna admired her for it.

Together the two ladies did their absolute best to look after as many people as they could, but more kept coming in with every passing second. The fight outside sure was intense. Lyanna had never witnessed one this grave before.

After a while Gwen came back to the ward, with Arthur at her side. He gave his sister a grim look which informed her that things weren't looking great for them. Gwen looked after Arthur's injury and the two of them talked to each other in the corner.

"Can you pass me the bandage?" Lyanna asked and Morgana quickly obeyed. Even without any medical experience, Morgana sure was a good assistance.

Lyanna almost felt her heart drop when Lucy was being placed on the chair before her. Her mother, Odyn, was standing at her side, looking restless and concerned. Lyanna gave both of them a reassuring smile as she looked at the little girl's cut on her arm. "It may sting a little," Lyanna warned her.

Lucy nodded bravely while Lyanna began to clean the wound. She stifled a scream. "You're very brave, Lucy," she said to her and saw the girl smiling in the corner of her eyes. "It's going to be fine. I just need to stitch it." As Morgana handed her a needle and threat Lucy began to squirm. Lyanna gently placed her hand upon her shoulder. "It may hurt a little bit, but you're a strong girl. I know you can do it. You just need to be brave for a few more minutes. Can you do that for me?" Lucy nodded once again. Odyn held her daughter's hand in the hope to comfort her while Lyanna carefully began to stitch the wound. Occasionally her eyes met those of Lucy and she saw that the girl was trying to blink away the tears. She was being brave.

"There. All done," Lyanna said after a few minutes and gently ran her hand through Lucy's brown hair. "You're bravery sure is something to be admired. I wish I was as brave as you," she said to her. A grin appeared on Lucy's face and she quickly wrapped her little arms around the princess of Camelot.

Odyn gratefully thanked the princess before she walked away with Lucy to make place for another injured person. Lyanna looked around and noticed that Gwen was busy tending Arthur's wound in the corner of the ward.

After Lyanna had treated five more people Uther barged into the ward, and ran towards his son and called his name once he saw that he was injured and was tended by Morgana and Gwen. "It's nothing," Arthur assured him. "They have control of the lower town. The market has been all but destroyed."

"How many dead?" Uther wanted to know.

Arthur's face fell. "Too many to number."

"I'm ceiling the citadel." Arthur wanted to protest. "I have no choice. I have to protect those who have a chance. If I don't, we will all fall." Even though Gwen and Morgana tried to stop him Arthur rose to his feet. "Where are you going?"

"There are people trapped under the drawbridge," he said.

Lyanna admired her brother's courage and his devotion to his people, but she knew how risky it was with those beasts still out there. "I forbid you! It's suicide!" Uther called after his son, but Arthur wouldn't listen to him.

"It's my duty to Camelot! And to myself!" he almost shouted and walked out of the ward, followed by a small group of knights. A heavy tension hung in the ward and everyone in there feared for the life of the prince.

While Lyanna was busy tending a young woman she had listened to everything that was being said. She had finished wrapping a bandage around the woman's knee, and the woman walked away. Lyanna wiped the sweat from her brow and made her way over to the table to fetch some more supplies. As she picked up some bandages she heard someone whispering her name. Lyanna looked around her and saw Merlin standing behind the wall, trying to get her attention. Because of all the commotion she had completely forgotten to free him from his cell. "Merlin, I'm sorry I didn't came to free you, but –"

"There is no need to worry about that," he assured her. His gaze lingered down her body. Her soft blue colored dress was covered in blood stains. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun and a few strands from her hair were tangled and stuck to her face. Her cheeks were flushed because she hadn't had the chance to rest for a few hours. Even in that moment Lyanna still looked beautiful to him and he suppressed a smile when he realized he had something important to do. "I have to help Arthur."

Gaius stepped beside them. ""Merlin, Sigan's power is far beyond yours," the physician warned him. "He is immortal and you are not. If you face him, he will destroy you."

Lyanna swallowed loudly. "You have to speak to Kilgharrah. He might be able to provide us with an answer," she suggested wisely. There wasn't anything else that she could think of that could stop this madness.

He didn't seem too convinced by her idea. "He helps no one but himself," he protested. Lyanna knew that he was right. She had witnessed it herself. But there was nothing else that they could do.

"For Arthur's sake you have to go him now," Gaius said. Merlin tried to object. "We have no choice."

"I would gladly come with you, but I'm far too busy right now. More injured people keep coming in every minute," Lyanna said, smiling faintly.

Merlin nodded understandingly. "Yes, they need you." Lyanna fought the urge to give him a chaste kiss to wish him good luck and quickly turned around to turn her attention back to the injured people that were being carried inside. _Don't think about him like that. He's your friend. Nothing more._

Lyanna had lost count by how people she had tried to help. The situation outside was growing worse. The knights that had survived the attacks so far were gathered in the ward and tried to seal the doors.

"Where's Arthur? Where is he?" Uther demanded to know. He tried to walk past Sir Geraint, but the knight held him on his place. He was allowed to go past him. "You can't leave him out there, he'll be torn apart!"

"You can't go out there, Sire! If you opened that door, you will die! We will all die!" Sir Geraint informed him severely. Uther let out a scream in horror. The tower of the castle was shaking and bricks fell down.

The current situation was driving Lyanna insane. When she had no more people to see and no one was paying attention to her she left the ward through the backside so that no one would notice her absence. She ran through the corridors and out of the castle. Her heart sank when she saw the many fallen people lying scattered on the streets.

On the main square she saw Merlin standing in front of Cedric who was possessed by the spirit of Cornelius Sigan. The man was clothed in all black and walked closer to him. Then she saw her brother lying on the ground between them. Without thinking Lyanna ran across the main square and past Sigan and kneeled down beside the unconscious body of her brother and pulled him into her arms.

"Well... Well." Sigan muttered impressed at the sight of Lyanna. "If it's isn't Lady Lyanna. Are you here to join me? Together we will rule over this land. Arthur will tremble at your voice, he will kneel at your feet."

"I would rather kiss a donkey's backside," she snarled.

"We don't want that," Merlin responded. Surely Sigan's words were having effect on him, but he would never choose the dark side. Nor would he betray the people that he cared about. She knew him better then Sigan did.

"You'd rather be a servant?" Sigan was kind of perplexed.

Merlin's face showed anger. "Better to serve a good man than to rule with an evil one." He looked down at Lyanna. "Get Arthur away from here!"

She did as he told her and pulled Arthur onto his feet. Her arm was wrapped around her brother's shoulder and she tried to carry him away from the main square. Her brother was heavy in his armour and she fell onto her knees on the steps off the castle.

"So be it," Sigan said. "If you will not join me, I will become you and your power will be harnessed to my will." His threat sent shivers down Lyanna's spine. She watched how the spirit left Cedric's body and fell onto the ground. Sigan's spirit left his body and a blue light escaped him. The light made its way over to Merlin and Lyanna covered her mouth behind her hands.

"**Ic þín sáwol hér beléac, abide þæt ic þé álíese**!" Merlin chanted as the light entered through his nose. It felt as if Lyanna's entire world was standing still in that moment as Merlin fell onto the ground. She could see that his head was beginning to jerk.

Lyanna briefly looked at Arthur who remained still before she ran towards Merlin as fast as she could. She pulled him into her arms as he opened his eyes and saw them turning black. Her throat felt dry and she brushed a few strands of his hair away from his face. She couldn't lose him. Not now.

Then she caught sight of something sparkling in Merlin's hands. The jewel of Sigan's was shining blue and Sigan's soul was trapped inside it. "You did it," Lyanna gasped in pure astonishment. She couldn't feel more proud in that moment. Merlin laughed merrily at her and she happily kissed his forehead. "You scared me. For a moment there I thought that he had won."

"I'm not going to give up so easily." He smirked at her.

Lyanna giggled. "I'm glad that you didn't." She smiled warmly at him and pulled him onto his feet. At that moment Gaius came walking towards them. Merlin showed him the jewel and the physician proudly pulled his ward into his arms. He then kissed Lyanna on the top of her head as a sign of gratitude that she was there.

The princess returned to the ward where she helped the rest of the innocent people that were being carried inside and looked after their injuries. Hours had gone by until eventually the last villagers were taken care of. Lyanna sighed relieved that she was being able to help so many people and completely understood why being a physician was such a rewarding job. She could already picture doing this the rest of her life, only her future husband surely wouldn't stand for his wife looking after villagers. It was only a dream.

* * *

**Sorry it's not as long as what you're usually used to from me, but I rarely had any time during the last week. Besides I've got a new tattoo on my arm, so now it's hurting and irritating so I can't use my arm properly which sucks when you want to write something. I'm going to try to update twice every week now! Let's see if I can do that :)**

**Alright by now Lyanna is slowly coming to realize that there is more than friendship going on between her and Merlin and maybe they'll express their true feelings soon. Who knows? Well, I do! -evil laughter- Right... Time to answer some reviews ;P**

**KattieWatsonHolmes: Oh no! You're having a mine rage fest! Please don't. I promise you that it will get better :) Trust me when I say that when they've accepted each other's feelings more snogging will definitely come and they might not get enough of each other haha. YOU LIVE SO CLOSE TO BAKER STREET? Excuse you! I'm so jealous right now! I was at Baker Street last year for like 3 minutes, but didn't have more time to stay longer so we had to leave again. At least I got a picture in front of Speedy's haha. It sounds so amazing to live there! Can we swap places? Yes those are the reasons I really want to go there. Oh wow that's odd ;p well things did turn out well for both of you though! And thank you. It's okay. He and my brother died of Huntington's disease two years ago. Oh shit, hearing that news must've been terrifying for you D: I'm glad that he's alright and happy now. Were you really sitting on the edge of your seat the whole time haha. I love Gaius so much as well. He really cares for Lyanna. Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that dear. *pulls you in for a warm hug*You're most welcome to write yourself into this story and smack them both together haha. The friendzoning will end soon. Quite soon :D Lyanna will soon realize that she's hopelessly in love with Merlin. Bless everything about your sweet comments! But did you happen to find a minstrel haha? Yes I've experienced the annoying cabs in London. But I'm sure I'll get used to it xD And did Will kissing you to have you shut up your brain work by the way? :p Anyway thanks AGAIN for reviewing! You make my day! Much love for you.**

**Guest 1: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH MYANNAAAA! ah yes! You understood it! Although Nimueh's curse is different than what happened in Frozen, but I kind of stole the idea and twisted it around a bit haha ;-) *gives you a tissue for the tears* Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest 2: I'm super glad that you loved it and the Frozen reference haha :P Ah well, series 2 is already here and more chapters are coming soon. I do hope that you haven't died from waiting haha :) Thank you!**

**BlueGreen216: Thank you for reviewing! :) Oh yes that's an excellent idea, but I've already have something different on my mind. Maybe Lyanna will be betrothed to someone else pretty soon! How will Merlin coop with that? But I do love your idea though :)**

**ArmyWife22079: Because I wanted to do something different for the series finale and I thought it would be a good idea to let Nimueh curse Lyanna because of the rivalry between Nimueh and Uther. I mainly stole the idea from Frozen and twisted it around a bit ;) I hope you liked it. **

**EmilyGrace31: Aaah I'm super glad that you liked it, Emily! And yes I'm well aware that you love them together haha, but I do like hearing it ;) Yes they'll accept their feelings more from now and the truth will come out soon, especially because they realize that they're not very different after all and they need each other to survive. They surely are stubborn haha. haha yes I know what kind of pair you mean haha xD It makes me happy to hear that this whole story excites you! Thank you so much for your sweet comment! :D**

**jhahn1989: I know that you're still reading my story now, but I wanted to let you know that all your reviews on my previous chapter are making me very happy. All I want to do right now is to jump through your computer screen and hug you tightly for saying all those lovely things ;) I do hope you read this when you catch up with the story and you still like it by than. Thank you so much for all that.  
**

**Alright. Expect another chapter somewhere this weekend :)**


	16. The Once and Future Queen

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Bless everyone who takes the time to read this story! I love all of you with my entire heart and I wish that I could hug you all for it!

**A/N- **Whooehoe the chapter is longer this time! Comments are at the bottom ;)

**Please enjoy this new chapter!**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Once and Future Queen**

Weeks had gone by since the incident with Cornelius Sigan and nothing ordinary had happened since. Since then Lyanna had spent most of her time riding through the woods with her father and Morgana, chatting with Gwen or training with the knights. She had hardly seen Merlin lately since he had been too busy with looking after her brother.

Camelot was in an uproar. Tomorrow there would be a jousting tournament and the entire town was swarming with knights who came to participate. Lyanna was gathered at the training ground where she watched Arthur climbing into the saddle of his horse. The princess loved to fight, but jousting wasn't exactly her thing and she chose to leave that to Arthur. Nevertheless she did enjoy watching him.

She had just finished a long training with the knights and her body was feeling rather score from the intense fighting that she had done. Because her brother was too busy with training for the jousting tournament he had left her in charge to train the knights in his place, which she gladly did.

Merlin was standing at the side and Lyanna made her way over to him while two knights prepared themselves. "Are you still enjoying yourself?" Lyanna asked him. He turned around at the sound of her voice and smiled at her.

"It's not so bad." He laughed. "I'm just glad that I don't have to join them. How did your training with the knights go?"

"Quite well. We practiced some maneuvers which will be very handy in battle. Arthur is going to love it when I tell him," she replied convinced.

The two knights ride towards one another and Lyanna easily recognized Arthur as one of them. Her brother managed to un-horse the other knight who fell onto the floor before he rode towards them.

"That's got to hurt," Merlin muttered, trying to imagine the knight's pain. He took over Arthur's lance.

"That's the point, Merlin. It's not a pillow fight. Fetch me another lance, will you?" Arthur ordered harshly. Merlin did so and handed him a brand new one before he returned to Lyanna, who silently stood at the side.

This time Arthur was standing across from Sir Leon. They both put their helmets down. Someone waved with a flag as a sign for them to start. They kicked their horses into canter and rode forwards. A flash of light temporarily blinded Arthur, and left him vulnerable. Only Leon chose to pull out rather than take his advantage. It seemed to have been noticed by the prince.

They both dismounted their horses. Arthur took off his helmet and walked towards the knight in complete bewilderment. "Why did you pull out, I was wide open? You could have unhorsed me," he wanted to know.

"I was fearful that I might injure you, Sire," Leon responded humbly. Lyanna had been well aware that the knights were holding back because they didn't want to injure the Pendragon siblings. She had always assumed her brother was aware of this as well.

"You had the advantage. You can't afford to hesitate," Arthur continued.

"I wouldn't have done it if I were facing a different opponent. You're the future King, My Lord."

Lyanna shared a brief look with Merlin. "You jousted against me in the tournament last year. Are you saying you let me win?" Arthur asked the knight.

"No, My Lord," Leon assured him.

Arthur wasn't convinced. He turned towards the other knights that had gathered around them. "It doesn't matter who I am! I do not expect any special treatment from you, from any of you! Is that understood?" The knights hesitated and nodded.

After the jousting training had ended Lyanna returned to her own quarters where she took a long, well-deserved bath. She read a book about the history of High Priestesses to keep herself occupied. When her skin became wrinkly Lyanna climbed out of the bath and changed into some more formal wear without Gwen's assistance. Her maid was currently assisting Morgana, but it didn't matter to her. She was perfectly capable to get dressed herself.

While Lyanna was putting small pins into her hair to put it up the door opened and her brother entered her chamber. "Are you feeling better now, Archie?" she questioned him without looking up.

"I need your help," he clarified dryly.

Lyanna had finished doing her hair and turned around to face him. "And how can I be of any service?" she wondered curiously.

"You're well aware that the knights are holding back when they have to fight us because we're royalty. I want to prove to everyone that I don't need any special treatment at the tournament," he said to her.

"And now you came here to ask how I can help you make that possible?" Lyanna guessed. Arthur nodded. "Well, there's one thing that I can think of. You need to find someone who can take your place at the tournament. Someone no one here will recognize. While he will pretend to be a knight you can fight his battles. If you win the tournament you can reveal yourself and claim the credit you so desperately desire."

His mouth fell agape. "That's brilliant. That's exactly what I'm going to do. Only how are we going to find someone who's good enough to pass for a knight?"

"Leave that to me and Merlin. We'll find someone. You need to inform father that you'll be going out of town for a couple of days and we need to make everyone believe that you've left, while you meanwhile hide somewhere in Camelot."

"You're the best sister anyone could ever hope for. Do you know that?" Arthur supplied deeply impressed and kissed her cheek.

She laughed at him. "No, I wasn't aware of that. Please tell me that more often. I'll go arrange a place where you could stay for a couple of days. I'll see you during dinner."

As Lyanna left the room she felt foolish that she being dragged into this, but she really wanted to help her brother. She knew how important this was for him and that was the reason she had decided to tag along. Together with Merlin they had found someone who they believed could play the part of their knight for the tournament, and the man was willing to participate in exchange for some gold. It seemed only fair in her eyes and she had paid him gladly.

* * *

Hours later Lyanna found Gwen folding some clothes in Morgana's chambers. The King's ward was nowhere to be found and Lyanna figured she might be out somewhere. "Gwen, I have an urgent request," she began which earned the attention of her maid. Lyanna told her about Arthur's plan. "… and that's why he needs a place to stay here in the city and I was wondering if he could stay with you. I will finance it so it won't cost you a thing. It will only be for a couple of days until the tournament is over."

Gwen was stunned by the sudden question and had to ponder about it. "S—sure," she eventually said, clearly not wanting to disappoint Lyanna. But the thought of having the prince living with her for a couple of days wasn't exactly appealing.

"Thank you, Gwen," Lyanna almost squealed and pulled her friend into her arms.

By the time everything was arranged Lyanna made her way to the council chamber where she sat down at the middle of the table. Arthur and Uther both took a chair at the ends of the table. Morgana wasn't present that night and had gone away with Gwen.

Lyanna was eating quietly as she watched Merlin placing some more platters of food on the table. He was the only servant who was present in the room at that moment, and therefore in charge for the whole meal.

"We've received reports that a beast has been sighted roaming the forest near the northern borders," Arthur began, stuffing his mouth with a grape.

"What's the nature of this beast?" Uther wanted to know. He held out his goblet so that Merlin could refill it with wine.

"It is said to have the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the… face of a bear…" Arthur continued. Lyanna had to hold in her laughter and Merlin did the same, but knocked over her goblet, spilling red wine all over her her lap.

"My Lady, I'm so sorry," Merlin apologized sincerely. "Let me clean that up for you."

Lyanna shook her head. "No, it's alright. There is no need for that," she objected, saving Merlin the trouble of cleaning it up. She saw Uther practically throwing daggers at the servant for spilling wine on his daughter, but he said nothing of it. It must've been because Lyanna wasn't making a fuzz about it.

"Anyway about this beast…" Arthur continued, earning everyone's attention again. "I believe it has been conjured by sorcery."

"Then we must destroy it," Uther said, taking a sip from his wine.

"I'll leave for the northern borders in the morning."

"But you'll miss the tournament," Lyanna interfered, playing dumb. She knew that it was his intention to have an alibi to not be participating the tournament as Arthur Pendragon and to be out of town.

"As much as I want to compete, my duty to Camelot comes first," Arthur clarified.

Lyanna nodded understandingly. "You are right, of course," Uther agreed with his son.

* * *

The next morning Lyanna got dressed by herself and tied her long hair together in a messy bun to keep it out of her face. It was a couple of hours after dawn until she knocked on the door of her maid. The door opened seconds later and Gwen stood before her.

"Gwen," Lyanna said relieved as she saw her friend. "I'm still grateful that you allowed Arthur to stay here. Anyway my brother should be here within a couple of minutes. I can assure you that he has some strange requests, so if you need any help you know where to find me. Do remember he's a guest at your house and therefore you have every right to scold him whenever he's being unreasonable. Shouldn't that work, I'll be more than glad to yell at him in your place."

Gwen laughed nervously and closed the door behind Lyanna. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" the maid wondered.

She shook her head. "I doubt it. But it's the only way that Arthur can prove himself as the future King, and that's all that he wants. There's nothing we can do to change his mind. I already apologize in advance for what might happen."

The two women began to prepare everything and were chatting quietly until there came a knock on the door. Gwen opened the door and Merlin entered the small house, followed by Arthur who was hiding his face underneath the hood of his blue cloak. Merlin's gaze briefly met that of Lyanna and she gave him a warm smile before anyone would notice it.

Gwen closed the door behind her and turned towards the prince. "My Lord," she greeted him with a curtsey. Even though Lyanna didn't want the people she cared about to address her by her title, Arthur hadn't changed that. He was the future King after all, so perhaps that was the reason he had to be addressed properly.

Arthur took off his hood and turned to them. "Guinevere. It's good of you to let me stay in your home."

"I'm happy to help," Gwen responded with a bright smile. Meanwhile Lyanna was already working in the kitchen. "Lady Lyanna and I'll prepare you some food." Gwen hurried over to the princess who was busy clotting some eggs together. "I can't believe you talked me into this," the maid whispered.

"I'm sorry, Gwen. If you don't want to do this anymore you can tell me. I'll find another place for him. I'm sure that –"

"No, he doesn't have to leave. It's alright. It's just that I'm not used to having royalty at my house." Lyanna opened her mouth to speak, but Gwen interrupted her again. "You don't count because you're my friend."

Lyanna grinned. "Just remember that you're allowed to call him a prat. He will not be a prince until the tournament is ended," she said to Gwen before turning her attention back to preparing something to eat.

"How are the preparations coming along?" Arthur asked louder after his silenced conversation with Merlin. "Have we found someone to play our knight in the tournament?"

Merlin nodded. "Absolutely. He's a farmer from one of the outlying villages and no one will recognize him," he assured him.

"But does he look the part?" both Merlin and Lyanna didn't look too sure. They had looked for someone who could be able to believe people that he was a knight for several hours and this farmer was all that they could find. Merlin left Gwen's house to fetch the William from the nearby inn where he was staying while Lyanna paid for the costs. Minutes later Merlin came back with William and showed him to the others.

Straw had gotten stuck in William's messy brown hair, which reminded Lyanna of a broom. His face was covered in filth, and his brown clothes were damaged in several places. Overall he looked more like a peasant than a knight.

"Great," Arthur muttered sceptical. He already believed that this was not going to work out.

Both Gwen and Merlin began to wash and dress William in order to make him look more like a knight. Lyanna had arranged some clothes together with Gwen and they helped him into it. Merlin presented him with a seal of nobility, which was obviously faked. But for now that didn't seem to matter. "From now on, you're Sir William of Daira," Merlin informed him. Still the man slouched and it wasn't very believable. "Imagine you're really… arrogant. Knights like to think they're so much better than everyone else." Lyanna snickered quietly which earned a glare from Gwen.

"It's not arrogance," Arthur protested. "Ignore him, he's an idiot. A knight must behave with honor and nobility." William's walk became a strut. "That's better. You must convince everyone that you were born into a noble family."

"Polish my armour, boy," William said authoritatively.

Everyone in the room looked astonished at their previous farm boy who was looking more the part. "Now you're getting the hang of it," Arthur said proudly. William laughed. "That's a good point, you do need to polish our armour," Arthur told his servant.

"Yeah," William said before laughing like a clumsy farmer again. Lyanna and Gwen looked at each other and laughed silently. They were now all convinced that he was able to make everyone in Camelot believe that he was a true knight.

Shortly after that Lyanna left Gwen's house together with Merlin. The two of them made their way back to the castle. "Do you need any help with cleaning Arthur's armour? I don't mind doing so. I just don't think it's fair that Arthur is pretending to be out of town and still let's you do his chores while he can easily do them himself now."

He shook his head. "Fair or not, I don't mind doing it. Thanks for the offer," Merlin responded. Still Lyanna had the feeling that that Merlin wasn't too pleased to have to do this, but he did his best to hide it.

"Alright. Well, if you're finished perhaps you could come pay me a visit tonight. I'm going to practice a bit of magic tonight and I could really use your knowledge." This was just Lyanna's way of trying to cheer Merlin up, and it seemed to work.

His eyes lightened up. "Perhaps I have some time. Where do I need to meet you?"

"How about you come to my favorite place in the forest," she suggested. "No one even comes there and the forest is always empty after nightfall. Right, I've promised Morgana that I would spend some time with her today. I'll see you tonight then." Lyanna gave him a wink before she hurried up the stairs inside the castle.

The entire afternoon Lyanna was together with Morgana. They walked through the market streets and drank lots of tea in the King's ward chamber just like they did in the old days. It felt nice. Once night had fallen over Camelot and Lyanna had eaten dinner together with her father and Morgana she was sneaking out of town without trying to get detected by a guard. Normally she would ride to her favorite place on Lumiere but she couldn't leave Camelot at night on a horse if she wanted to do this secretly. If Uther would hear about this he would be furious and possibly throw her into the cells. That's why she needed to be cautious.

Twenty minutes later Lyanna was sitting with her feet by the river, watching the placid current. It was a rather chill autumn night and she wrapped her fur cloak tighter around herself to keep herself warm. After throwing small rocks into the river for a little while she heard something rustling in the bushes behind her. She turned her head and saw Merlin walking towards her, flashing her his trademark smile. She immediately felt her cheeks heating up. "I'm glad that you could make it," she said relieved as he sat down beside her.

"Well, I couldn't let you sit here by yourself, now can I?" he responded. She shook her head and then placed it onto his shoulder. "You didn't ask me to come here just to practice, did you?"

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't," she replied nonchalantly, shrugging a little. "Perhaps I just really longed to be alone with you again and just used a simple excuse to make you come here." Lyanna looked up and saw his eyes twinkle with mischief. "After all we rarely get some time to ourselves. You're much too busy with helping Arthur and I have other things to do, and then someone crazy comes to Camelot with the intention to hurt the people we care about. It's quite tiring."

"I agree with you. But what do you plan to do against it?" he wondered. She shrugged at that. "I'm afraid we cannot do much about it. Only to make the best out of every moment that we do get to spend together."

They build a small campfire to keep themselves warm and sat down next to it while they talked together about their lives. It was nice to be completely honest with one another and to not have any secrets. Almost an hour later Merlin began to teach her some new magic spells that he had come across. They practiced together. Lyanna had never had a more pleasant teacher than Merlin before. He was calm and gentle and really took the time to explain it, which made it easier for Lyanna to understand it.

During the last year her magic had surely developed. It had gotten stronger, but it wasn't nearly as strong as that of Merlin. But that didn't interest Lyanna at all. She had no intention to become a powerful sorceress, she just enjoyed practicing together with Merlin and how handy magic could be at times. Besides Lyanna was better at sword fighting and using a bow and arrow, something which Merlin was a disaster at. Together that worked out pretty good.

After a few hours Merlin had taught Lyanna four new spells which she had practiced several times. Suddenly a chill was set in the princess skin and she looked between the two trees and saw two golden eyes piercing into hers. It was the wolf. Lyanna felt her breathing hitch in her throat as the wolf walked over to her and lay down at her feet. Briefly she eyed Merlin before she patted the wolf's charcoal coat once more. "He's different than any other wolf I've ever come across. There doesn't seem to be any harm in him. He seems to be pretty fond of you," he said.

A bright smile touched Lyanna's lips as she scratched behind the wolf's ear. "Well, if you intend to become a friend of mine it's only fair that you have a name. Do you like the name Rollo?" she asked him. The wolf tilted his head to her and let out a small howl which only encouraged her to laugh. "So, Rollo it is then. It suits you." It was an odd thought to be this close with such a wild animal, but when she looked into his golden eyes it felt perfectly normal.

"What do you plan to do with him?" Merlin wondered as he kneeled down beside Rollo to pet its thick fur. "You cannot take him back with you to Camelot."

She knew that he was right. Uther would probably kill the wolf if she brought it back with her. "He has to stay here," she replied sadly. "I'm convinced that our paths will cross again in the future."

It was getting rather late and the two of them began to make their way back towards Camelot through the forest. When they reached the Camelot gate Lyanna said her goodbye to Rollo who let out a howl before disappearing again between the trees. Merlin grabbed Lyanna's wrist and together they snuck past the guards easily and Merlin escorted her safely towards her chamber.

They stood still before her door. "Thank you for a lovely evening, Merlin," she said gratefully and gently ran her fingers through his raven hair. "We need to do that again sometime soon."

"I would love that. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Lady Lyanna." He flashed her favorite smile and then turned around and began to make his way back towards the physician quarters.

Lyanna watched him until he was out of sight before she entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her. A part of her had wished that he would've kissed her goodnight and her cheeks burned like fire because of that thought. Slowly it was becoming more difficult to see Merlin as just a friend. She felt herself being pulled to him. This was more than friendship. She liked Merlin. But even though she did nothing could come of it. He was a mere servant and she a princess with the duty to wed a nobleman one day. Ignoring those feelings was all that she could do in the hope that they weren't real.

That night Lyanna dreamt about Rollo. His golden eyes were all that she could see. She still slept solemnly and woke up after dawn. Surprisingly enough Gwen entered her room. "Gwen, I thought you would be with Arthur," Lyanna supplied a bit confused as she climbed out of bed.

"I was, but he and Merlin are already on their way to the arena to prepare for the tournament. They brought William with them," Gwen explained, giggling. At the mention of William, Lyanna couldn't help but smile. She sure hoped that the farm boy would be able to convince everyone that he was a true knight. "Let me do your hair."

Lyanna let her maid pin her hair upwards into a more ladylike style and held it together with some bobby pins. Then she changed into a silk moonlight blue dress, with long sleeves. She clasped her fur-coat around her shoulder. Gwen then made her way to Morgana's chambers to help her out while Lyanna walked through the secluded area where all the tents of the knights stood, who were preparing themselves for the tournament. She spotted her brother's tent and quickly entered it without drawing attention. Here she saw Merlin helping Arthur into his armour. William looked rather uncomfortable in his new clothes.

"Lyanna, you've no idea how glad I am to see you," Arthur exclaimed cheerfully before pulling her into his arms. "Do you honestly believe this is going to work out?"

Slowly, she pulled back. "It will if you will believe it yourself. You're going to be amazing and you'll earn the credit you so desire. It's the only way," she replied, smiling at him before looking at William. "And are you ready to be a knight?"

"I was born ready, Milady," he responded, laughing goofily. Lyanna had to stifle at giggle because of that.

"That's good to hear, Sir. Anyway Arthur, I came here to wish you good luck. I'll be cheering for you," Lyanna said and placed a chaste kiss on Arthur's cheek before she turned around. Her eyes briefly met those of Merlin and she then walked out of the tent.

A few minutes later Lyanna was seated in her chair besides Morgana, with Gwen at the other side of the King's ward. The three women were talking together and watched arena get fuller with people who were eager to see the tournament. Uther approached and everyone stand up when the horns were being blown. The knights rode into the arena on horseback. Lyanna spotted William in the line and was having a difficult time with trying to stay on his horse.

"Knight's of the realm, welcome to Camelot. You've trained for this day for many years. Today you will fight for glory and for honour. For this is the ultimate test of courage. And it will be the measure of you as men. For only the most skilful, the most fearless among you will emerge as a worthy champion," the King said.

The knights returned to their tents to prepare for their first battles of the day. Lyanna bend her head to Gwen. "For a moment there I believed that he would fall off his horse," she said to her maid.

Gwen giggled quietly. "I suppose that says something."

The jousting tournament began and the first knights took their stand. Several battles had gotten by and eventually it was Arthur's turn. Lyanna noticed the glee in Gwen's eyes as she saw Arthur taking his stand, but she must've imagined it. The maid couldn't be more excited to see Arthur joust, especially after having to spend to spent more time with him.

After a few hours all the knights had joust and Arthur had managed to win all of his battles easily, much to Lyanna's amusement. She had seen him practice for these tournaments for many long years, so she was well aware of how skilled he was. All the winners of the day came out on their horses to acknowledge the crowd which roared with excitement. Lyanna couldn't help but smile as Sir William did his best to convince everyone that he truly was a knight. He was doing quite well and no one seemed to have noticed something odd about him.

"Milady," Gwen asked softly and Lyanna turned her head towards her friend, which encouraged her to continue. "Now that Arthur has won all of today's matches that will mean he'll be needing my service. I should go to my house to see what he wants."

Lyanna nodded a few times, surprised by Gwen's devotion to her brother. She was grateful to have Gwen at her side during all this and that she was able to trust her with everything. "Of course. I'll cover for you with Morgana. Do you want me to check on you tonight?" Their voices were soft because they didn't want anyone to eavesdrop their conversation. "You haven't told me what it was like to have Arthur staying at your house. Did he behave?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm sure I'll manage. And no, he didn't behave properly. He just assumed that my bed was his without asking and slept there last night. He's not in the mood to lift a finger. Perhaps that'll be different tonight. I've got to go now. Please excuse me, Milady." Gwen curtsied before Lyanna before she hurried out of the arena.

This raised the suspicion of Morgana when she saw her maid walking away. "Where is Gwen going?" she questioned out loud.

"She wasn't feeling too well so I've decided to send her home. Besides I could help you out in her place. Let's get back to your chamber so I can do your hair," Lyanna lied. It was quite easy how she was able to lie to Morgana, but it was for the best. The King's ward believed her word and together the two ladies made their way back to her chamber. They sat there for the rest of the afternoon, just talking about random things which felt very nice.

That evening Lyanna dined with the King. He seemed to be rather annoyed with the fact that his son wasn't participating in the tournament, but he understood the reasons for it. After dinner Lyanna wondered if she should go to the forest to see if Rollo was around, but she decided not to. By now the wolf could be days away. Instead she read a book about healing which Gaius had given to her last week until she eventually drifted asleep. She woke up around dawn the next morning and changed into the clothing from the previous day.

Shortly after that she left her bedroom and carried the book under her arms as she made her way through the corridors until she reached the physician chambers. Slowly, she opened the door only to hear Merlin almost shouting against Gaius. "Do you think I sit around doing nothing?! I haven't had a chance to sit around and do nothing since the day I arrived in Camelot! I'm too busy running around after Arthur! Do this, Merlin! Do that, Merlin! And when I'm not running around after Arthur, I'm doing chores for you! And if I'm not doing that, I'm fulfilling my destiny with Lyanna. Do you know how many times we've saved Arthur's life? I've lost count. Do we get any thanks? No. We have fought: Griffins, withches, erm… bandits. I've been punched, poisoned, pelted with fruit, and all the while I have to hide who I really am, because if anyone finds out, Uther will have me executed! Sometimes I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions, I don't know which way to turn."

Merlin paused for a moment after his rant and then met Lyanna's gaze before he stormed out of the room. She immediately felt guilty for him having to go through that, and she wished that she was able to change a thing or two to make things easier for him.

"Gaius," Lyanna said placidly to break the silence that had fallen in the room. "I came to bring back the book that you borrowed me last week. I must say that I found it very fascinating." The physician remained silent. "You shouldn't worry too much, Gaius. Merlin will come around. He's just tired. Let me clean the leech thank in his place."

The old man turned towards her. "I'm sure you're right. I just think that I've been too harsh on him," he responded.

She gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. He's not mad at you," she assured him. "I'll go see if I can find him." With those words Lyanna left the physician chambers and ran through the long corridors in the hope to find Merlin somewhere. She wondered where he could've stormed off to after his rant. Perhaps he was already on his way to Gwen's house to help Arthur prepare for today's jousts.

As she walked through the streets of the lower town she found Merlin walking in front of her. She increased her pace and caught up with him and brought him to a halt by gently grabbing his wrist. "I heard what you said back there and I wanted to make sure you were doing alright," she clarified. "Gaius is worried that you're angry at him."

"I need to help Arthur," he snapped. He pulled himself free from her grasp before continuing his way towards Gwen's house. Lyanna bit her bottom lip and stomped with her feet. I cannot believe this guy! She understood the reason that he had to be upset, but he had no right to behave to her like that. It almost made her feel as if their friendship had been nothing but a lie. Almost.

Deciding to not spend more time worrying about Merlin she returned to the castle where she met up with Morgana. A few hours later the two ladies sat down at their usual seats in the arena and watched the knights enter the field on their horses. Just like that Gwen sat down beside them, and Lyanna immediately felt better.

The fights went on and on and Lyanna was enjoying herself. Sir Alinor was one of the first knights who had made it to the finals. Up next was the joust between Arthur and Ser Leon. Lyanna held in her breathe as both knights galloped towards each other on their horses. Leon wasn't holding back but Arthur was certainly stronger and managed to knock Leon off his horse. Everyone rose to their feet to cheer, except Gwen.

Gaius sat down beside the maid. "You're not impressed by this Sir William of Daira," he deduced easily.

"I believe he's an arrogant pig," Gwen replied and met Lyanna's gaze. The princess had to hold in her laughter. It would surely draw attention if anyone found out they knew the knight in person since he wasn't supposed to be from around here.

"Arrogant pig or not, he has made it to the final," Lyanna responded cheerfully. One more joust and Arthur would be able to claim his well deserved victory. It made her heart swell in delight when she thought about that. She was convinced that he could do it.

The arena began to empty and Lyanna considered looking for Merlin to talk this through, but she chose not to. She was still cross at him for how he had behaved to her earlier and she wasn't in the mood to speak to him.

Unsure what else to do Lyanna made her way to the physician chambers together with Gaius. "I'll clean the leech tank," she offered kindly. Gaius shot her a look, but she silenced him. "No, I promised that I would do it. I don't mind. I'm just glad whenever I can do something back for you."

Before he could argue with her she already began to clean the filthy leech thank. Leeches didn't bother the princess and she hummed a cheerful tune as she thoroughly cleaned it. Meanwhile Gaius had brewed her some tea and placed the cup on the table and waited for her to finish.

"Have you spoken to Merlin?" the physician wondered.

She shook her head. "I wasn't able to find him this morning," she lied. It was for the best that he didn't know about what had happened. That was something which they needed to solve together. At least that was what she hoped, but she wasn't so sure. Lyanna wasn't as confident as she most often looked.

After she had finished cleaning the leech tank and had drank several cups of tea with Gaius she returned to her own chamber. Here she lay down on her large bed and fluttered through another one of Gaius books about the elements. She lay there for a couple of hours until she heard a soft knock and the door went open and Merlin stepped into her chamber.

"Lyanna," he began unsure. "We need to talk."

She looked up with a frown. "We don't need to do anything. I have no desire to talk to you," she objected irritated. "Get out of my room." She watched him slouch with his shoulders in defeat before he walked out of her bedroom. Lyanna sighed annoyed and turned her attention back to her book. It felt so weird to talk to Merlin in such manner, but she knew that he had deserved it. He would come around.

Hours later Lyanna took a long and soothing bath. This time she had replaced her normal lavender soap for an orchid one, which smelled very good. Once she was finished she went to dine with the King and Morgana. When dinner had ended Lyanna returned to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She was about to pick up the book again when she saw a small bouquet of sunflowers lying on her bed. Slowly, she picked them up and wondered where they came from.

"Do you like them?" a familiar voice asked her.

Lyanna turned her head and saw that Merlin had entered her bedroom and gently closed the door behind him. A sigh rolled over her lips. "I thought that I had told you go away," she responded, still visibly cross at him.

She heard him take in a deep breath. "You must know that it wasn't my intention to make you upset, Lyanna. I was just tired of being pulled in so many directions that I just lost it. But that doesn't justify what I did. I acted like an ass and you have every right to be angry with me. I just hope that you'll be able to forgive me one day."

There fell a silence and Lyanna surprised him by pulling him into a tight embrace. He let out a laugh and they fell backwards onto her bed and Lyanna snuggled close against his chest. "I forgive you, Merlin. I understand that you were upset, but I just wanted to help you. You need to know that I'm at your side, and I always will be. But let's not speak of this matter again. It's solved and it belongs in the past. Instead can you tell me how Arthur's holding on?"

Merlin was much relieved after her answer and seemed to ease down into the embrace. "I ran into Gwen a couple of hours ago who he had send out for a walk through Camelot because he would cook her dinner. I decided to check in on him and he immediately asked me to fetch two palace dinners."

Lyanna giggled. "Yeah, that does sound like Arthur. He has never cooked a single thing in his life. I do hope that Gwen falls for it. The girl deserves something nice. Oh by the way, thanks for the flowers. I love them. How did you know that sunflowers were my favorite?"

"I remembered that," he grinned. Lyanna laughed and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before snuggling back against his chest. "Did you change your soap?" She nodded. "I thought so because you don't smell like lavender. You smell nice… well, you always do."

She blushed. "Are you flirting with me, Merlin?" Lyanna teased him.

"Always," he responded with an amusing grin. Lyanna felt her heart racing because of that. She knew he was only messing with her, but she liked to believe that he actually meant it. "I'm glad we're on good terms again."

"So am I. I don't like fighting with you."

Merlin tried to wriggle himself free from underneath her. "I should go. Gaius his leech tank is waiting and someone needs to clean it."

"I've already done that this afternoon. Can you please lay still? It's getting cold," she complained. She felt very comfortable with him so close. Even though her feelings were new, she enjoyed being around him more than she should. She knew that it wasn't proper to behave like this around a man when she wasn't married, but she couldn't care. It felt right to her. And that was all that mattered at the moment.

He laughed heartily and wrapped his arms tighter around her to keep her warm. Lyanna felt his body heat radiating through his clothes as he pulled the thick cover over them. Never had she felt this comfortable before. This was certainly something that she could get used to. "We need to do this more often," Lyanna suggested as her eyes fell close. She listened to his steady beating and felt his rising chest.

It wouldn't be long before Lyanna would drift off to sleep, but they were disturbed by a loud knock on the door. "Lyanna, are you dressed?" the voice of her father asked. Lyanna cursed under her breath. She hastily climbed out of her bed and began to make up the bed while she gestured for Merlin to hide behind the chamber folds, which he did with great haste.

Once he was out of sight she replied. "I am, Father."

The door swung open and the King entered her chamber. He didn't seem to notice anything odd but walked over to her. "I want you to come with me. They have found the body of one of the guards," he enlightened her.

Lyanna felt her chest tighten. "Sure. I'll come with you, Father."

She hastily followed him out of her bedroom and closed the door behind her. He leaded her through the long corridors until they reached a secluded corridor on the lower ground. Here they found the body of one of the guards which was put inside a chest. It sent shivers down Lyanna's spine. She began to inspect the body while Gaius, Leon and Merlin gathered around them. Lyanna stepped aside so that Gaius could have a look.

"Can you determine a cause of death?" Uther wanted to know.

"Well, his neck has been broken," Lyanna informed him.

"There's scarcely a mark on the flesh. Whoever killed him knew exactly what he was doing," Gaius added but gave a brief wink to Lyanna for deducing that right.

Sir Leon straightened himself. "Earlier this evening, an intruder was spotted in the lower town," he said to them.

"Then I fear it's true. Odin has sent an assassin to kill Arthur," Uther deduced.

Lyanna hastily turned her head. Her hazel eyes were filled with confusion. "An assassin?" she asked and felt panic washing over her.

Uther didn't answer her but looked at his son's servant. "Have you any word from Arthur since he left for the northern borders?"

Merlin shook with his head. "No. None," he lied, but the King didn't see through it.

"With this assassin in Camelot, we must be thankful Arthur isn't here. Search the entire town. I want the assassin found before Arthur returns," Uther ordered Leon. The knight nodded and shortly after that Lyanna found herself heading towards Gwen's small house with Merlin at her side. Neither one of them said a thing. They both knew that they had to warn Arthur about what they had found out.

They stormed through the door and found Gwen and Arthur standing nearby the table. "Arthur, there's an assassin in Camelot. He's here to kill you," Merlin informed the prince.

"The assassin killed a guard. Our father said that Odin has sent him," Lyanna added, trying not to sound frightened or worried at all.

"Why would Odin want you dead?" Gwen wondered curiously.

Arthur slowly turned to them. "Because I killed his son. Odin's son challenged me to a fight. I had no quarrel with him. I asked him to withdraw. Perhaps he had to prove himself. I can still see his face. He looked so scared."

Lyanna remained silent. She still remembered the way that Odin's son looking during that fight. Up until this day she was still convinced that he had only challenged Arthur to prove himself. What better way to do that then to defeat the future King of Camelot in a battle. Only he had failed and had died in advance. Something which Odin apparently blamed her brother for.

"You cannot blame yourself," Gwen tried to reassure Arthur.

"No one but us knows where you are. If the assassin can't find you, he can't kill you," Merlin supplied wisely.

Arthur looked at Gwen. "May I continue to stay here?" The maid nodded. "Thank you. I'll sleep on the floor tonight."

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows together. "No, have my bed. You need to be well rested for the tournament tomorrow," Gwen objected.

"I'll not hear of it. Goodnight, Guinevere," Arthur said finally. Lyanna was impressed by how gallant he acted there, almost like a true gentlemen. Gwen argued no more and retired in her own bed. Arthur now looked at his servant. "Fetch the mattress from my quarters and bring it up here," he ordered with a faint voice.

"How am I supposed to carry a mattress on my own?" Merlin quizzed perplexed.

"I don't know. Strap it on your back."

Lyanna growled and slapped her brother across his cheek. "No, don't be a drama queen," she warned him seriously. If there was something she couldn't stand than it was injustice. She was willing to fight for it. "There is no need to treat him like that. We'll fetch the mattress for you." With those words Lyanna stormed out of the small house with Merlin at her heels.

"Thank you for standing up for me, but there really was no need for that," Merlin said to her once he had caught up with her. "I'm also perfectly fine to bring the mattress back."

"Sure you are," she muttered skeptically. "You plan to use magic to do that. Don't you think that it will draw attention of you use magic to make the mattress flow into the air. I'll help. I don't want to hear another word about it."

Merlin only smiled proudly at her. She was stubborn just like her brother and father. It sure was a strong family trait. Only Lyanna was very stubborn when it came to the sake of other people, something which Uther clearly didn't have. Arthur also had it but not as strong as Lyanna. That was what made Lyanna so different from everyone that he knew and what he liked so much about her. She would always put others first as long as she could help.

They grabbed the large and heavy mattress from Arthur's chamber and carried it together. They chose to make their way back by taking a secluded route in case anyone saw them walking, carrying a mattress through town after nightfall. Surprisingly enough they made it back to Gwen's house without drawing any attention. They carried it into the house so that Arthur could sleep on it again before they headed back to the castle.

After all the events of today Lyanna sure was exhausted and it was already drawing close to midnight. If that stupid assassin hadn't showed up she would've been asleep by now and everything would've amazing. Only good things didn't seem to last here. She had figured that out by now.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked her concerned when they were walking through the corridors inside the castle and were close to her bedroom. He just felt more at ease by escorting her safely towards her chamber, especially now with this assassin in Camelot.

She looked at him and gave him a faint smile. "Just a bit worried about this assassin I guess," she replied doubtfully. "I guess some sleep would do me good. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Merlin."

"Goodnight, Lady Lyanna," he responded with a bright smile before heading towards the physician chambers.

Lyanna closed the door behind her and began to change into her nightgown and quickly duck underneath the covers. She had to admit that her bed felt much colder without Merlin in it. That thought immediately caused her to blush and she was glad that no one was there to see it. She couldn't believe that a servant boy was making her feel so giddy, but damn she liked him. A lot. And that thought only saddened her because nothing could ever come of it. If only a princess was allowed to wed the man that she loved, instead of marrying out of duty. Alas life wasn't that simple.

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After just a few hours of sleep Lyanna got dressed into a forest green dress with long sleeves and braided her long hair into a simple braid. As a way of protection she tugged some daggers into her pockets and her boots in case she would run into this crazy assassin. She was ready to fight.

She hurried out of the castle as she cautiously kept glaring over her shoulder, but it was quite difficult to spot an assassin in a crowd. Many strange people had come to Camelot for the tournament so one stranger didn't exactly stand out. She walked over to area where all the tents stood and quickly entered that of her brother. Here she found Merlin helping Arthur into his armour. William was already standing in the corner, looking ready.

"Did you come here to wish me good luck?" Arthur assumed with a playful smirk lingering on his lips.

"I did," Lyanna responded. "Arthur, would it be alright if I stayed here in case the assassin would turn up? I'm armed so I'm willing to fight him if it's necessary."

"If that makes you feel better I don't see why not," Arthur responded and gently ruffled through her hair. She shot him a glare and redid her braid so that she would look decent again.

Minutes later Arthur, after Sir William had greeted the crowd, left the tent to fight the final battle of this tournament. Lyanna and Merlin followed him but remained behind before it as Arthur entered the arena on his horse. He faced Sir Alynor. The crowd was clapping loudly as the two knights galloped towards each other on their horses. They all saw how Arthur got hit with the lance. He almost fell off his horse and looked badly hurt.

"Sir Alynor used a deadly lance," Merlin stated grimly.

"That doesn't sound like him. You should go after him to see if you can stop him. I'll help Arthur with his injury," Lyanna offered. Merlin hastily squeezed into her hand before he hurried away to the knight's tent. Gwen was carrying Arthur and Lyanna helped her into the other tent.

They placed Arthur onto the chair as the prince took off his helmet. "His lance pierced my armour," he told them.

Lyanna saw blood welling up through his armour and anxiously chewed on her cheek. "You're losing too much blood. You need to take off your armour so I can tent your wound," she instructed him.

"Do what you can. I have to be back on the course within five minutes or I forfeit the match," Arthur responded.

"That's enough time to take off your armour," Lyanna muttered softly. William helped her with taking Arthur's armour off. Lyanna began to clean the cut, which wasn't too deep, before it would get infected.

Gwen looked at them in horror. "You can't possibly joust, you're too badly injured!" she objected.

"I have never withdrawn from a match. I do not intent to start now," Arthur admitted truthfully. Lyanna admired that about him. She would've done the same if she would've been in his position. She rubbed a special herb onto the wound to stop the bleeding.

"You would risk your life to protect your pride?" Gwen wondered in shock. "You have nothing to prove. Least of all to me."

Lyanna couldn't help but wondered something had happened between the two of them. They were suddenly so full of respect for each others. Perhaps Arthur moving in with Gwen for a couple of days had made them see each other in a different light. It sure seemed to have helped.

"I have everything to prove. To myself," Arthur told her. Meanwhile Lyanna quickly tied a bandage around his waist to support the wound and together with William helped Arthur back into his armour.

"Kick his ass for me," Lyanna said to her brother when he put his helmet on. He placed a kiss on her cheek before he walked out of the tent and towards the course to finish the match. He mounted his horse as Gwen handed him his lance.

Arthur rode away to the course at the same time as Merlin ran up towards her and Gwen as he called their names. "Where's Arthur?" he asked frantic.

"He's about to joust against Sir Alynor," Lyanna replied doubtfully.

She could tell that something was clearly wrong by the way that he was holding himself. "He's jousting against the assassin," he blurted out. Lyanna swallowed loudly at that. She didn't know that was possible, but he had to be stopped.

The three of them rushed to the course as Arthur and the assassin were tilting. The joust was about to begin and there wasn't a way that they could stop it. Arthur was hurt and wouldn't be able to defeat the assassin. They stood in the middle of the crowd. Unsure what to do next Lyanna eyed Merlin. She could hear him chant, "**Unbinde þé téage.**"

He had used magic to snap the girth on the assassin's horse. Lyanna anxiously held her breath as they rode closer to each other. Arthur used his advantage and managed to unhorse his opponent with one strong blow from his lance. He had won!

Merlin helped Arthur off the course. Minutes later they had gathered in the tent. "You were jousting against the assassin," Merlin said to Arthur. "He killed Sir Alynor and took his place. The people are waiting for their champion. It's time to reveal yourself."

They all looked at Arthur to see what he would do. Arthur looked at William. "You must go and collect the trophy," he said to him.

Everyone was a bit bewildered because of that because they knew how desperately Arthur wanted to prove himself. "I thought this was going to be your moment of glory," Gwen said puzzled.

Arthur looked at her. "Perhaps this is a time for humility."

Lyanna walked over to him and pulled him into an embrace. "I'm proud of you. I'm going to look at your wound again when this is all over and no buts," she warned him. "You jousted amazing!"

Slowly, he let go off her. "I'm glad that you're proud of me."

"I always am," she convinced him with a bright smile. "Especially now."

They cloaked Arthur to disguise him as the four of them left the tent and gathered in the crowd to laugh and see as William celebrated the victory to a wild applause. No one seemed to have noticed that Ser William was nothing more but a farm boy. Their plan had worked perfectly.

Now that the tournament had ended Lyanna had come up with an excuse to why Arthur had gotten himself injured when he was supposed to be out of town. She entered the council chamber together with Arthur a few hours later after she had put a bandage sling over his bloody armour.

"The assassin attacked us as we returned to Camelot. I was injured whilst killing him," Arthur lied to court, while Lyanna took her usual place besides Morgana.

"Odin must be made to pay for his actions. We must strike back at him," Uther suggested. Lyanna had already expected that her father would say something like that.

"Surely you understand that he feels grief for the lost of his son? We should try to make peace with him. There's has been enough bloodshed," Arthur answered. Lyanna winked at her brother for remembering what she had told him to say. He was doing incredibly well.

Uther seemed to realize that his son was right. "Perhaps you're right. How was the rest of your trip? Fruitful?"

"Very. I learned a great deal. How was the tournament?"

"Excellent," Lyanna replied instead. "We seem to have a new champion, Sir William of Daira."

Arthur met her gaze and Lyanna could tell that he was doing his best to stifle a laugh. "I'm sorry I missed all the excitement."

Uther rose from his chair and gently wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder. "Please tell me more about this beast," he insisted as the two of them walked out of the courtroom.

Swiftly the room emptied and everyone left, and Merlin remained behind together with Lyanna. She turned to the warlock. "Why are you looking so gloom?" she wondered, slightly concerned that something serious was troubling him.

He shrugged with his shoulders. "Nothing serious. It's just that Gaius found out that I've been lying about Arthur's absence and he wasn't too thrilled with it. So, he's going to let me clean the leech tank in the hope that I'll learn from it."

That answer made Lyanna laugh. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I know that leeches are disgusting, but I've cleaned the tank yesterday so it shouldn't be too filthy."

"Yeah, that one is clean. But it would seem that he has another tank which needed cleaning," he clarified. Lyanna held in her laughter, but the seriousness in Merlin's eyes caused her to break out in giggles. Things were finally back to normal.

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**I had promised that I would post again during the weekend and I did! It's still Saturday morning here so I wrote quite fast haha. **

**As you all know Lyanna now realized that she indeed has feelings for Merlin and those are only growing stronger. Perhaps it might be very difficult to deny those feelings soon ;) We'll see about that haha.**

**EmilyGrace31: Oh wow. Yes it's quite nice to read a little bit of fanfictions before you go to bed ;) I'm so glad that you're liking this so much. I'm blushing like a tomato by all your sweet compliments so thank you for that and reviewing AGAIN! You're amazing! There's going to be much more Lyanna and Merlin together. I can assure you that :D**

**Lbunny: YAAAAAAH! He're more Myanna! ;) I'm glad you're so passionate about it haha**

**ArmyWife22079: Ah I'm glad that you liked it :D It indeed seemed to be a mix of that haha. Yes Arthur is very oblivious when it comes to Merlin's magic D: I'm shocked that he hadn't found out sooner. But thank you for reviewing!**

**Guest1: Thank you! The romance is coming soon now that Lyanna has realized she sees Merlin as more than a friend. Now is the question when they'll both going to have a heart to heart to get that of their chest? Might be soon ;-) I can assure you that they're going to be very happy when the truth is out. My arm is so much better now haha. the pain is completely gone and my arm isn't swollen anymore xD I love tattoo's. How many have you got? :) Thank you for reviewing again and keep those fingers crossed.**

**Ravenclaw Heronstairs: Thank you for reviewing! I can assure you that you don't have to wait too long for that to happen. I can't tell much more than that but both Lyanna and Merlin are so stubborn. They'll realize it soon enough haha :P**

**Jhahn1989: I know that you reviewed on chapter 14, but I still wanted to thank you :"D I hope that you read this when you're caught up with the story. Your reviews are so sweet I'm glad that you liked the series finale so much :"D There is more to come!**

**BurnedSpy: I hope this was soon enough :D Thank you for your review!**

**KattieWatsonHolmes: I was laughing SO hard when I read that part of you shoving Lyanna and Merlin together. It was completely adorable and you're most welcome to shove those two stubbornheads together like that. They deserve it haha :P More kisses will happen soon *hint ;) * At least Lyanna now realizes that Merlin is more than a friend to her and is crazy about him. Yes, I loved Speedy's as well. I'm a huge Sherlock fan as well which was the main reason why we went there while I was in London last year haha. It was definitely worth the trip there ;) I'm super glad that things are alright for you now. Well, I don't necessary need a minstrel though haha. I'm easily satisfied. You don't have to serenade me or something haha. Oh wow, yes kissing and cuddling is always a nice way to get your mind of things haha. But thank you so much! I think it's hilarious that he just asks you about the characters when you were grinning like that. And yes your babies are getting together ;-) Slowly but we'll get there. Thank you so much for reviewing all the time, dear!**

**I cannot promise when the next chapter will be up but I'll try to post twice next week as well ;) You guys are so eager for more so I'm locking myself more in my room now so that I can write without getting disturbed. Alright, I've got the day off today so I'm going to write the next chapter now. Until next week! ;D**


	17. The Nightmare Begins

Bless everyone who takes the time to read this story! I love all of you with my entire heart and I wish that I could hug you all for it!

**Please enjoy this new chapter!**

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter 17: The Nightmare begins.**

Lyanna was seated in front of a chair in front of the window underneath a thick blanket to keep herself warm as she watched a thunderstorm raging over Camelot. The entire day she had been training the knights with Arthur and her body had gotten rather sore from the new maneuvers that they had come up with. She had taken a long earned bath in the hope that the warm water would sooth her sore muscles, but they were still a bit tensed. She knew a goodnight's sleep would probably be the answer, but she wasn't in the mood to move herself to her bed.

Ever since she was little Lyanna had always been fascinated with thunderstorms. Whenever there had been one she would often sit down in front of the window and watch the bright light flashes in the sky until she eventually drift asleep. Her maid would often find her the next morning by the window and would tell her father, and Uther insisted that she would just go to bed. Every time had asked her that she simply told him that she would, but when the next stormed raged over Camelot she had completely forgotten about that. That hadn't changed in twenty years.

She continued to sit there until her eyes began to come heavy. It was hours after midnight that Lyanna drifted asleep while the thunder continued to clash on the background.

"Lyanna," a familiar voice called her name

Slowly, her hazel eyes shot open and she noticed that the sun was already shining brightly in the morning sky. She turned her head and saw her brother standing beside her, having a worried look in his eyes. "Archie," she slurred. "What's a matter?" She was still filled with sleep and would've loved to sleep some more.

"Something happened to Morgana last night," he informed her. Lyanna suddenly felt awake as if someone had thrown a large bucket of ice water over her. She jumped out of her chair and began to gather some clothes out of her wardrobe before disappearing behind the chamber fold. "She's alright. I think it's something which you need to see with your own eyes."

Lyanna said nothing and changed her clothes quietly before storming out of her room with Arthur right behind her. She stormed into the bedroom of the King's ward and found her standing next to her bed, looking rather exhausted. Lyanna saw that the curtains had caught fire and several pieces of furniture had burned down. The window had broken, and the glass lay scattered across the floor. Merlin was busy cleaning up the burned fragments and glass. She turned to Morgana and pulled her into her arms. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice filled with panic. Morgana didn't say anything, but only nodded in return. "Come with me. I'll prepare you some tea."

She wrapped her arm around Morgana's shoulder and together the two women left the bedroom and made her way to Lyanna's bedroom so that Merlin could clean up. Lyanna made her sit down at the table while she brewed some tea close by. Not a word was being said by Morgana, not even when Lyanna sat down beside her five minutes later and placed two cups of tea on the table.

"I assume that you don't want to talk about what happened, and there is no need for that. I just want to make sure that you're doing alright," Lyanna offered, her voice as calm as a steady river.

Morgana looked up and their eyes met. Lyanna was able to notice the fear and horror in them and she wondered what had possibly happened in that room last night, but she didn't want to shake the King's ward up some more. If she wanted information she would have to be gentle with her. It only seemed likely that she wouldn't speak about what had occurred soon. It would come when she had calmed down.

"I'm alright," Morgana squeaked, not sounding convincing at all. Lyanna noticed it, but didn't say anything about it. Be gentle, she thought to herself. She had been through enough. "Thank you for caring for me. Like you always do."

"You're family, Morgana," she replied honestly. And she felt about her in that way. Morgana had always been there at her side, and she was most grateful for her. Even though their friendship was sometimes rough, they would always have each other's back. It was an encouraging thought. The events of a couple of months ago when Morgana had made it her intention to kill Uther seemed to have been forgotten. It had only been a spur of the moment without any causality. "And family looks out for another. We always will."

That brought a faint smile to Morgana's lips who felt slightly better by hearing her soothing words. That was all that they said to each other. Eventually when Gwen announced that her room had been cleaned up she escorted the King's ward back to her own room so that she could have some rest.

As Lyanna walked through the corridors she overheard a small conversation between her father and Arthur. "They used magic. Arrest all those we have under suspicion," Uther said to his son. "My ward has been attacked. Time is something we do not have."

She watched them walking away and she stood still. The King is suspecting that a sorcerer has attacked Morgana during the night. Lyanna wasn't too sure about it. No sorcerer would dare to come close to the King's ward, let alone attack her. It seemed unlikely that someone would do that. But what she did thought that magic was involved.

After Lyanna had eaten something in the palace kitchen before she would fall over she returned to Morgana's chamber. Lyanna did their best to comfort Morgana in the best way that they could, without trying to put any pressure on the unstable ward. Eventually she dared to speak. "I had a nightmare last night," she said.

Lyanna turned her head to her. "About what?" she asked concerned. She was glad that she was finally telling her what she knew. It would help the princess who was trying to figure out what had happened.

Morgana shook her head. "Sometimes I have a dream which comes to pass, but this time it was different. The dream was too much of a haze to remember. I only remember that it was frightening because I woke up screaming. As I opened my eyes I saw that the curtain had caught fire and the window had broken into tiny pieces…" her voice trailed away and Lyanna smoothly pulled her into her arms. She knew that it was difficult for her to talk about this. Now that Lyanna was hearing this version of the story a small part of her thought that perhaps Morgana had magic just like she did.

"It's alright. It's over now," she assured her. She thought it was for the best not to mention what she assumed, because she wasn't certain. The last thing she wanted was to give Morgana any false hope. She was already fragile. "I'm going to make you a draft tonight to help you sleep." It was the only way she could think of that she could help her friend, and she felt kind of a like a failure for it.

After sitting with Morgana for several hours there came a knock on the door. Lyanna went to open it and saw Merlin standing in front of her with a bouquet of purple flowers in his hands. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Then she grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind a pillar so no one would see them. "What do you think is going on?" Merlin asked her straight away.

Lyanna swallowed. "I think she has magic," she answered quietly in case someone was overhearing their private conversation. "I'm not sure but it's the only explanation I have so far. Look at how the window has exploded. Besides, she's already a seer. From what I've read, seers sometimes also have magic."

Merlin seemed to realize that she might be right about her deduction. "What are we going to do about this? You cannot tell her."

"And why shouldn't I, Merlin? Only because she's the King's ward and Uther might execute her if he finds out?" she almost yelled. Her voice softened after that. "That's the same fear that I have to live with every single day. She doesn't have to go through this alone. Having powers like that is nothing to be frightened of. She needs our help. She's terrified and I hate seeing her like this."

"I know," he responded and it almost sounded like a kind of apologize. "But we can't tell her what we fear yet until we're certain."

Their gazes locked and Lyanna could detect something in his eyes. "You're hiding something from me," she figured out.

He shook his head. "I am not," Merlin objected, but she shot him a glare. "I— I was thinking that perhaps we could send her to the Druids. They may have answers for all this."

"The Druids?" Lyanna asked puzzled. Her eyebrows were knitted in confusion. "You think it's a good plan to send the ward of Uther Pendragon to a Druid camp so they might tell her that she has magic?" Slowly, Merlin nodded. Lyanna only growled. "Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds? We do nothing. Not until we know for certain what is going on."

He said nothing about the matter anymore and held up the flowers. "Can you give these to Morgana?"

Lyanna felt a bit odd about the fact that the man that she liked was giving flowers to someone else, but she knew that Merlin only did that out of kindness. That was just the kind of man that he was, and she liked him for it. "Sure. Don't I get any?" she asked in return as she took over the flowers. She saw him tense a bit which caused her to crack a smile. "I don't need any flowers, silly. I'm just messing with you."

As they both stepped from behind the pillar they bumped into a servant girl who pulled Lyanna against Merlin's chest, and he placed his hands on her waist to stabilize her so she wouldn't fall over. Lyanna's knew that the girl's name was Kattie, because Gwen had mentioned that she was working in the kitchens. "Idiots," she muttered with glee in her eyes before she walked further down the corridor.

Lyanna was pressed against Merlin's chest out in the open for everyone to see and a few guards were curiously watching them from a distance. The princess had gone as red as his neckerchief and was smiling shyly. "Uhm. Sorry. I should..." she stammered.

"Yeah... Sorry..." Merlin retorted and picked up the bouquet of flowers that had fallen before giving it to her.

"Thanks." With those words Lyanna stepped away from him and returned to Morgana's chamber. "These flowers are from Merlin," she enlightened her. "Shall I put them in a vase for you?"

Morgana nodded and even smiled as she watched Lyanna place the bouquet into a vase on a nearby table. "Merlin sure is kind," the King's ward said. "I can tell that he's a good friend of yours."

Lyanna looked at her with a bright smile. "He sure is," she replied dreamily.

Shortly after that Gwen joined them and for a while it felt as if nothing had happened last night. The three women just chatted together like they always did, which had made Morgana feel better about the recent events. After dinner Lyanna had offered to stay with Morgana to watch over her that night, but Morgana had told her that wasn't necessary. So, Lyanna retreated into her own chamber where she tried to catch some sleep herself.

It was late that evening when the door of Lyanna swung open and a hysterical Morgana entered her bedroom. "I've been trying to find Gaius, but he wasn't in the physician quarters."

Lyanna jumped out of bed and gently grabbed Morgana's arms. "I'm sure that Gaius is currently busy, but you shouldn't worry. You can trust me. I'm here for you."

That caused her to break. Morgana blinked away her tears. "I'm scared, Lee," she admitted truthfully. "I don't understand anything anymore. I need to know what's happening. I think it's magic."

That caused Lyanna to freeze for a moment. She knows. She knows. She knows.

"I just ran into Merlin and I told him the same thing but he didn't believe me. He was acting as if I was making this up," she continued, sounding frantic. "As if I'm losing my mind."

"You're not losing your mind. You're not. I believe you, Morgana. Trust me. I assumed the same thing, but didn't want to tell you before I would know for certain," Lyanna admitted. She knew that Morgana deserved the truth after everything that she's been through.

Morgana didn't refuse to look away. "So you agree with me? I'm not crazy?"

"Of course you're not," Lyanna assured her convinced. "There is nothing insane about this. I'm still not absolutely positive that you really have magic, but I believe that it is magic. We just have to wait to see what happens next, because if it really is magic it will reveal itself. But no matter what it is, your powers are nothing to be afraid about."

"How do you know so much about magic?" Morgana asked after a moment of silence.

Lyanna anxiously chewed on her cheek. Should I tell her? And in that moment Lyanna couldn't care less about what Morgana would think about her. She wanted to let her friend know that she could trust her and that she understood what she was going through. "I know so much about it because I went through the same thing," she admitted.

Morgana's eyes widened with disbelieve. "Y—you have magic?"

Instead of saying something Lyanna lit the candle at her bed stand by simply looking at it. Morgana could only look at the princess in pure astonishment and confusion. "Let me explain," Lyanna insisted. "Months ago I was in the same situation as you were. Out of nowhere I was able to throw a pot at Gaius by using my mind. After that I practiced my magic by myself in the hope that I would be able to control them. I know that it's wrong to lie but I kept it too myself in the hope no one would find out. I didn't want to risk losing my head." She had lied about small things to keep Merlin's secret safe.

There fell a silence in the room as Morgana let all the information sink. After a few minutes she pulled Lyanna into an embrace to let her know that everything was alright. "I'm sorry that you had to go through this by yourself. I wish that you were able to tell me about this because I'm your friend, Lee, but I understand why you didn't. I would've done the same."

"I'm glad that you're so understanding," Lyanna replied and she pulled back. A weight had fallen from her shoulders. It felt right to finally be able to tell the truth to one of the persons she cared about most in this world. "I just want you to know that you're not alone in this and that I'm here to help you. In fact I've made some sleeping drafts the other day that I'm sure will help you with falling asleep."

Morgana didn't argue with her while she knew that he wasn't a big fan of the sleeping drafts that Gaius normally made with her, but this was one that she had made herself. Shortly after taking it Morgana was sleeping soundly in her own bed. Lyanna felt relieved to see that the King's ward was able to catch some sleep and tried to catch some sleep in her own bed after that.

The next morning Lyanna woke up from the sound of birds chirping on the roof. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as the door of her bedroom opened and Gwen entered, carrying a tray of food. "Good morning, I didn't expect you to be awake already," the maid said a placed the tray of food on the table. "Will you train with the knights again today?"

Lyanna paused for a moment to consider that. The soreness in her muscles had kind of ebbed away, but it still felt rather stiff. Perhaps some exercise would loosen it up a little. "Yes, that's my intention. Have you heard any word from Morgana?" she asked in return.

Gwen shook her head. "I went in to check in on her, but she was still sound asleep. I didn't dare to wake her up," she answered.

"You did well. She could use all the sleep that she can get," Lyanna responded as she sat down at the table and began to eat her breakfast. She still had an hour before the training would start, so that was time enough to wake up properly. As Lyanna ate Gwen was busy with cleaning up some washed clothes in the wardrobe and the two women spoke cheerfully, just like they always did.

Later Lyanna made her way to the training ground together with Arthur and put all the equipment to their place together with some of the knights. Merlin was seated on a nearby bench, watching everything from a safe distance. "Milady," he said with a gentle voice as she went to pick up a dummy. She slightly turned her head at him and saw him flashing her his trademark smile which she had grown to love so much. "How's Morgana doing?" he asked her.

"She was still sleeping when I left. I'm sure she'll be awake when the training is finished," she replied. "You look good today." She grinned, before giggling when she saw his cheek go red. "There's nothing to be ashamed about."

"You always look good, Milady," he responded as a true gentlemen.

"Stop with the flirting whenever my brother is around," she warned him, but couldn't get the grin off her face. Merlin laughed with her. "I should help him." She turned around and carried the dummy across the field to where Arthur was standing. "Have you gotten any luck with finding the sorcerer that was responsible for attacking Morgana?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, we did not. We do have a few suspects which we'll pay a visit later today to see if they know more about it. Perhaps that will lead us to who did it."

Lyanna didn't say anything about the matter again. She knew that these people they were expecting were people who had connections with the Druids in their past. Of course Lyanna knew that none of those people had done it because it had been Morgana herself, but she couldn't tell that. She could only hope that Arthur wouldn't find any of them.

The training had begun and Lyanna started with fighting some friendly duels with Sir Leon, just like she did most of the times when she joined them. As she fought her muscles didn't seem to be sore, and it was rather pleasant to move around. After she had finished practicing with Sir Leon, she helped the other knights with some maneuvers.

"Are you ready for a rematch of last week's battle?" Arthur asked by the time the training was nearing its end. All the knights now eyed the royal siblings curiously to see what would happen next.

Lyanna noticed the glee in his eyes. "I don't think I could refuse such an offer, brother dear," she replied smugly. "But do you honestly want to get beaten again? Last week's fight was an ugly one. For you that was."

Her teasing seemed to have effect on him, just like it always had. The siblings walked over to each other and twirled their swords while one of the knights gave the sign for the battle to begin. Precisely a minute later Arthur was lying on his back in the grass with his arms up, and his sword beside him. "Do you yield, Sire?" Lyanna smirked and noticed that Merlin was holding back his laughter on the nearby bench. "It's no disgrace to lose from your little sister, Archie."

"Alright, I yield," he gave up. Lyanna bit her bottom lip before pulling the future King of Camelot back onto his feet. "I know it's not a disgrace to lose from you because you can easily win from everyone here."

She laughed at that. "You're a charmer, Arthur Pendragon. Always have been."

After the training had ended Lyanna took a long, hot bath and passed the time by reading a book about mythical creatures which Gaius had recommended for her in case of them would someone mysteriously make its way to Camelot, which they doubted. But you could never be too sure in a place like this. Strange things constantly happened here.

Once she was finished she went to check up on Morgana before she went to the physician chambers to assist Gaius with making some more potions. The day went by slowly like that. By the time night had fallen over Camelot Lyanna was about to leave when Gaius halted her. "I know I've send Merlin to deliver a sleeping draft to Morgana, but the boy has taken the wrong draft with him. Would you be kind enough to deliver the right one?" he asked her.

Lyanna laughed. "Sure." She picked the right draft from the table which she had made herself this afternoon before she popped out of the physician quarters and hurried through the long corridors. She reached Morgana's bedroom within minutes and knocked on the door. When she heard Morgana say "Enter" she gently opened the door and stepped inside. The King's ward was dressed in a bright red dress with a matching cloak and looked as if she was about to leave. "Merlin had brought you the wrong sleeping draft, so I came here to bring you the right one. I'm sorry, are you going somewhere?"

Morgana slowly nodded. "Merlin just told me that I should go the Druids because they might be able to help me with what's going on and confirm our suspicions. He said that I could find them in the forest of Essetir, so I'm leaving now," she enlightened her.

The princess froze for a moment. Merlin has told her where to find the Druids? She believed that she had disapproved his plan yesterday, but it seemed that he refused to let it go. Lyanna didn't understand why he had said this to her. And where had he found out where he could locate the Druids? "Are you sure that's wise, Morgana? I mean, it's dangerous out there. Besides you're the King's ward. He isn't exactly on good terms with the Druids," she helped her remember.

"I'm well aware of that but I don't know what else to do. I have to know what's going on with me. Weren't you scared when you found out that you had magic?" she quizzed. Lyanna nodded in return. "Then surely you should understand."

"I do understand, Morgana." She could tell how desperate the King's ward sounded. She was honestly frightened because she had no idea what was going on, and that was one of the worst fears. She hated seeing her like that. "Perhaps I should come along with you. It would be better if you had someone on your side in case you would come across robbers." Of course when Lyanna had found out that she had magic she had Merlin and Gaius there to support her, but she didn't want to pull them into this. The Druids were the only option that they had left.

Morgana's eyes brightened. "So, you would come along with me? You're the best friend anyone could ever wish for." She pulled her into her arms. "I'm sure that they could help you as well with your magic. They will not treat us differently."

Lyanna smiled at her as she pulled back. It was nice to her in a higher spirit again after the events of the last days. "We'll see about that soon enough. I need to get my belongings but we should leave after that. Come with me."

Together they walked to Lyanna's chamber where the princess quickly changed into her hunting gear and clasped a forest green cloak around her neck before she swung her bow and quiver across her shoulder. Then she stuffed some healing supplies and some leftover bread and two water skins into her leather satchel. Finally she shove the sword that Arthur had given to her for their anniversary into the scabbard.

"Let's go then."

Within ten minutes they had made their way out of the castle without being detected. The evening air was chill, but they ignored it as they sneaked through the small hole in the wall and ran into the forest. "We better put a good distance between us and Camelot before they find out we're gone," Lyanna suggested wisely.

This was the first time that she had sneaked out of the castle like that, and a part of her felt kind of guilty for leaving everyone behind, but she had no other choice. Right now Morgana needed her help and that was all that mattered. She just hoped that she would be able to return within a couple of days.

The two of them walked for several hours until it became too dark for them to see ahead. "We rest here and leave again at first light," Lyanna suggest. Morgana went to fill the water skins while Lyanna gathered firewood and build a campfire. They were sitting around the fire shortly after that, both looking at the flames.

"Do you think we've made the right decision by leaving?" Morgana asked doubtfully.

Lyanna broke out of her thoughts and looked at her. "I'm not sure, but we don't have another choice. You deserve it to know the truth," she replied. "You should get some rest. You will need all your strength tomorrow."

Morgana didn't argue with her and lay down on some leaves on the ground. The girl was obviously exhausted from all the commotion because she snored lightly just minutes after that. Lyanna continued to sit there by herself for a while until she felt her eyelids become heavy and she longed to be in her warm bed back at Camelot. That was when she heard something rustle in the leaves behind her. She was suddenly wide awake and was ready to use her magic in case it was an intruder. Only a black wolf stepped out into the clearing and Lyanna recognized those golden eyes everywhere. She cracked a smile as it places its head in her lap.

"I was already worried I wouldn't be seeing you again, Rollo," she said gratefully, but with a hushes voice as she patted its charcoal fur. He snuggled closer against her and she felt much better because of it. Often she had caught herself wondering what had happened to the wolf she had met a couple of weeks ago, but she hadn't expected that he would return to her. "Merlin is never going to believe this."

Shortly after that Lyanna drifted to sleep with her back against the tree and Rollo sleeping in her lap. The next morning she was rudely awoken by a piercing scream. Her hazel eyes shut open and she saw Morgana standing before her, pointing at the black wolf that lay besides Lyanna. "It's going to kill you. Run, Lee," she said hysterically.

Lyanna began to laugh. "There is no need to get frightened. This here is Rollo. He's a good friend of mine. He would do us any harm. You can trust him. In fact he's coming with us to the Druids to keep us safe."

Morgana looked perplexed. "You have a pet wolf?" she asked bewildered.

"Technically he's not a pet. I've stumbled across Rollo a couple of months ago when I was hiking in the forest and he allowed me to pet him. Then he disappeared between the trees, but came back a few weeks ago. That was when I gave him his name. He left again and I thought I would never see him again, but he proved me wrong," Lyanna explained. Rollo let out a laugh-like bark. "You can pet him if you want to."

She hesitated for a moment, but Rollo stood up and gently pressed his wet nose against the palm of her hand to let her know that it was alright. That was enough to convince her and Morgana patted his thick fur. "He's lovely," she said cheerfully.

"He sure is. Anyway we should get going," Lyanna responded as she slung her bow and quiver over her shoulder. "It's a day's march to the forest of Essetir if we want reach it today."

They began to walk the long route to the forest of Essetir. As they walked they nibbled on some bread and spoke quietly about a few matters, but never said much. Rollo was running in front of them, to scout ahead in case they would come across something. It felt nice to have a wolf on their side.

Occasionally they would rest after a few hours of walking. Morgana wasn't exactly used to long walks through the forest and she didn't want to pass out before they would reach their destination. Lyanna used her magic to see the path ahead which she needed to take which was something that Merlin had taught her. At the thought of the manservant she immediately felt her chest tightening and she hoped that he wouldn't be worrying about her. She would come back.

The hours ticked by and eventually night fell over the forest again, but they were getting close to their destination. "We should rest for the night," Lyanna suggested.

"No, we're almost there. We need to keep going," Morgana argued. Lyanna said nothing in return, but only light a torch so that they could see where they were going. Rollo seemed to be alright with whatever they chose and kept at their side as they went further.

Eventually Morgana was walking quite ahead of Lyanna because she was determined to reach the Druid camp the same evening. Lyanna watched how a serket appeared from between the trees and stuck Morgana's leg. The King's ward collapsed and blacked out while Rollo teared the beast to pieces. Lyanna knelt down besides Morgana and gently lifted her up when more serkets circled around them. Unsure which magic spell that she could use she suddenly saw all the serkets getting thrown back with such force. I didn't do it! That's not my magic.

A man wearing a red robe stepped into the clearing and walked over to her and Rollo. She recognized him as a Druid. "She's hurt. Come with me," he insisted. "We can take care of her." Lyanna wasn't in the mood to argue with him and watched how he gently took Morgana from her hand. Then a younger Druid boy appeared and a flash of recognition hit Lyanna.

"Mordred," she exclaimed and eyed the boy as he wrapped his arms around her middle. He sure had grown since she last had seen him and was bigger. It felt weird to see him again after Arthur and Merlin rescued him in Camelot the last time. The words of the dragon were repeating themselves in her mind. You cannot trust this boy. But she looked at his innocent blue eyes she couldn't believe that this boy would one day kill her brother. It seemed unlikely.

"When the serket attacked, Mordred was able to sense Morgana's distress in her mind," the man clarified. "We're close."

Lyanna let go of Mordred and followed the man as Rollo ran after her. She saw how Mordred was running next to Rollo and was laughing quietly when the wolf stopped and turned around to taunt him, clearly a sign that he's playing.

After about fifteen minutes they had reached the Druid encampment. It lay pretty secluded behind the threes and some massive rocks which didn't surprise Lyanna. After all they were forced to hide and they were safe here. Several Druids looked at the arrival of the newcomers but said nothing about it.

"You can stay here for tonight," the man informed her and gestured to an empty tent. "I'll look after your friend's injury and will inform you when she has woken up. You're safe here, princess Lyanna."

Her eyes widened. "You know who I am?" she asked doubtfully.

"Of course I know who the daughter of Uther Pendragon and his ward are," he responded. "My name is Aglain in case you were wondering."

"Well, if you happen to know who I am, then you must know that I don't agree with the choices my father makes. Nor does Morgana," Lyanna replied.

He nodded. "I'm aware of that. Get some rest." With those words he and Mordred walked away to another tent on the other side of the encampment while Lyanna slowly sat down in front of the tent. Rollo lay down beside her and she felt safer that he was at her side while she was at an unfamiliar place. Her thoughts wondered to the people she had left behind in Camelot until she eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning she woke when a few Druid women brought her some breakfast and left her again. She ate the food in silence and noticed that they had even left a plate of meat for Rollo, who ate from it hungrily. Shortly after that Aglain made his way over to where Lyanna was sitting. "I came to let you know that Morgana woke up not long ago. Her injury was not so bad and I've treated it. Anyway she fell asleep again from exhaustion," the man clarified.

She felt slightly relieved by that news because she knew that Morgana was going to be alright after having being stung by a serket. "That's good to hear," she replied with a faint smile. "I was already worried about that."

"I know you care for her dearly, Lady Lyanna, but you've made a mistake by telling her that you have magic. You shouldn't have done that," Aglain said to her.

That surprised her. "And why is that a mistake? We both have magic, therefore I trusted her with my secret," she responded unsure.

"That is no reason to trust someone I'm afraid. You haven't found out yet what is truly in this girl's heart."

"Then what do you suggest that I do? Wipe out here memory so she forgets that I have magic?" she sneered in return. It angered her that he was speaking about her friend in such a manner. After the events of Morgana trying to kill her father she knew she could trust her. She had always done so.

Aglain nodded. "There are a few spells that may help you out," he suggested. "Please consider this for the sake of the kingdom. It may be for the best if she doesn't know about you, Darya." Hearing that name again sent shivers through her spine, but she knew that's what the Druids called her. "One day you're going to see Morgana for who she truly is. This has been foretold many years ago."

Lyanna took in a deep breath as she thought about his words. Prophesies were tricky things and she assumed this man was telling the truth. "Alright, let's say that you're right. Which spell are you suggesting to that could help me with deleting this information from her mind?" she asked him. It pained to have to do this because she always thought that she could trust Morgana, but now it seemed that she couldn't.

He handed her a piece of parchment which Lyanna looked at. "I've already written down the spell for you to use. Don't wait too long with using it. It will be better if you do it soon," Aglain instructed her.

"Can I use this while she's asleep?" she questioned. Aglain nodded. "Then I'll do it now before she suspects anything." Lyanna rose and walked across the encampment with Rollo trailing behind her. It sure was an odd sight. The princess of Camelot with a large black wolf at her side. She reached the tent where the King's ward was sleeping and knelt down beside her. Lyanna looked at her for a moment before chanting the spell that was written on the parchment and her eyes flashed gold. "Ictoác dilwaiso tilnadir obezim zeníra." She thought about which memories that she wanted to wipe from Morgana's mind as she spoke those words.

Her eyes changed hazel again and Lyanna looked at Morgana who remained motionless. She was unsure whether or not the spell had worked and knew she would've to wait until she had woken up to see if it had worked after all. Lyanna quietly left the tent again with Rollo and returned to her own tent on the other side of the encampment. Here she sat down again while Mordred played with the wolf.

This place was making Lyanna uncomfortable because she wasn't sure who she could trust. She couldn't trust Mordred and now she couldn't even trust Morgana it seemed. All that Lyanna desired was to go home and leave this place behind, even though the Druids were incredible nice to her. More children were also playing with Rollo now which seemed to calm Lyanna a little, but still she couldn't help but feel tensed.

When it was pass noon everyone had left the princess alone. Only Rollo remained at the side, but the wolf was napping quietly at her feet while Lyanna looked across the encampment. Morgana had woken up and was chatting with Aglain about something. She assumed the Druid man was just trying to reassure her about her newly discovered magic in the best way that he could, but she wasn't certain because they weren't walking close to her.

A familiar voice softly said her name and Lyanna turned her head to look inside her tent, only to find Merlin sitting there. She hastily closed the flaps so no one would see them as she stepped inside. "Merlin, what are you doing here?" she wanted to know. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him.

"Everyone back in Camelot believes that you and Morgana were being kidnapped," he clarified. Lyanna anxiously bit her bottom lip. "Because I knew where you were going I decided to come here and to persuade you to come back before Arthur and the knights find you here. But why are you here, Lyanna? I thought you were against this idea."

"I was," she admitted. "That night when Morgana came to the physician chambers to talk to Gaius, but ran into you she asked you if it was magic. She came to me after that and asked me the same thing and I ended up telling her about mind because I trust her. When I found her all dressed to leave the next night she told me about your plan and that she was going to the Druids, I offered to come with her. I couldn't let her go by herself, she needed my help. When we were almost here she got attacked by a serket. They helped her and healed her. She's with Aglain and Mordred now."

Merlin drew in a deep breath. "You told her you had magic? Lyanna, you need to stop telling everyone about that," he warned her seriously.

"I'm well aware of that, but please tell me that you're not tempted to tell her about yours? Anyway it shouldn't matter. Aglain told me that I've made a mistake by telling her because I didn't know what was truly in Morgana's heart. He gave me a spell to delete the memory from her mind and I used it this morning," she informed him. "She has forgotten about what I said."

"That must've been hard on you," he assumed.

Lyanna blinked away the tears in her eyes. "It's terrifying. I'm honestly wondering who I can still trust these days," she replied, her voice hoarse from holding back the tears.

Merlin surprised her by gently placing his hand on her shoulders and looking her directly in her eyes. She had to beam up at him. "There are still people that you can trust. For example Arthur, Gwen, Gaius will always be there for you. As will I," he assured, being the good friend that he always was. "You're not alone in all this."

"Thank you, Merlin. You always know what to say," she responded and rubbed the tears away from her eyes. She surprised him by pulling her arms around his neck and felt him wrapping his around her waist.

"It's just part of my charm," he told her. Lyanna laughed at that and eased down. She always felt much better whenever he was close to her. "Anyway were my eyes deceiving me or did I really just saw Rollo lying outside the tent?" She told him everything about the wolf and that he had found them. Once she was finished he spoke, "We need to convince Morgana to go back to Camelot."

She nodded understandingly and slowly let go of him, ignoring the way that her heart was beating inside her chest. "I know where it is." Lyanna stormed out of the tent and strolled across the encampment with Merlin next to her and Rollo trailing behind them. They entered her tent and found Morgana sitting by herself.

She looked perplexed when she caught sight of the servant. "Merlin! What are you doing here?" she enquired. Lyanna remained silent. It felt odd to be standing in front of woman who was supposed to be her family. As she looked at her she couldn't see a single reason why she should not trust Morgana, but the words of Aglain were still clear in her mind. One day she would show what was truly in her heart which meant she had to be cautious.

"I've come here to take you and Lyanna back to Camelot," he clarified calmly.

"Then I'm afraid you've had a wasted journey. I'm never going back," she snapped back.

"Morgana be reasonable, please. The King thinks we've been kidnapped. He will not stop until he has found us. According to Merlin he's arrested dozens of people. He's going to execute them all," Lyanna interfered. They had to go back to Camelot before more innocent lives would be ended.

"If we return, the same fate awaits me," Morgana argued. Me. That meant that she indeed no longer remembered that Lyanna possessed magic as well and honestly believed that they had come here for her benefit.

Merlin exhaled deeply. "Uther doesn't need to know about this. We won't tell a soul," he tried to persuade her to come along with them, but it didn't seem to work.

"I'm sorry," Morgana began. "I'm never going back. These are my people. They're me. I don't feel so alone here. Do you understand?" Morgana questioned.

Aglain suddenly stormed into the tent. "Morgana, Lyanna, we must go," he told her and then got aware of Merlin's presence. "Who are you?"

"He's a dear friend," Lyanna said to him. "What's wrong?"

"Arthur and his men are coming. Your friend has led him straight to us."

They all knew what was going to happen next. If Arthur and the guards would find them here he would probably kill all the Druids in his way to get to them and they couldn't let so many innocent people die because of that. They could only run and hope that they were fast enough to outrun them.

As they left the tent they saw some of the Druids were busy with grabbing their most valuable items while the others were already running away from the encampment. Lyanna looked around and saw Merlin looking at Mordred and knew that the Druid boy was speaking telepathically at him. "Merlin, we need to go now," Lyanna said to him and pulled him along by his elbow.

Aglain was helping the limping Morgana run off while Merlin, Lyanna and Mordred ran along with them. Rollo kept close to Lyanna and refused to remove himself from her side. Merlin was running fast at the front. Morgana suddenly stopped when the pain in her leg became too much. "We've got to keep moving!" Aglain said to her.

"My leg, it's too painful," Morgana bickered back.

Lyanna ripped a piece from her tunic and bound it around Morgana's leg to give her some more support to stand on. "I'll try to create a diversion. You carry on. It's my fault they're here! Go! Go!" Merlin ordered them. Aglain and Mordred pulling Morgana along with him while Lyanna remained behind with Merlin. "Lyanna, you need to go as well. Please."

Slowly, she nodded before she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Just stay safe," was all that she asked of him before she turned around and ran away, followed by Rollo. Her heart was aching, but she had to keep going. Merlin was going to be alright. He always was.

Lyanna quickly caught up with the others and helped Aglain with carrying the injured Morgana further for a while. But their effort was for nothing, because the King's ward collapsed onto her legs. "I can't go on," she protested. She lay with her head on a mossy rock.

"We're not leaving you behind," Aglain said determined.

Morgana whispered a please before she lost her consciousness. Lyanna was unsure what to do next. They couldn't carry an unconsciousness Morgana and run away from the guards at the same time it was impossible.

One of the guards released an arrow from his crossbow and managed to hit Aglain in his back. The Druid collapsed onto the ground and was dead. Lyanna felt her entire body grown cold because of that and she eyed Mordred. "You need to run! You're fast. Go!" she said to him. He nodded before he turned around and ran away.

Lyanna knew that it was over because they were caught. A few of the guards made their way over to them, but raised their crossbows again when they spotted Rollo standing protectively in front of the princess. His teeth were exposed and it growled venomously at them. "Don't shoot him!" she shouted. "He's on our side."

That seemed to convince the guards and they lowered their crossbows. "Prince Arthur! We have Lady Morgana and Lady Lyanna!" one of them called.

Seconds later her brother came trotting down the steep hill and ran towards his sister, but halted when he saw Rollo. He was still holding his sword in his hands and was ready to use it to defeat the wolf, but Lyanna stepped between them. "If you harm him, I'll hurt you," she warned him seriously.

Arthur ignored that for a moment and gratefully pulled Lyanna into his arms and almost suffocated her. He was just relieved that he had found her again after everything that he had gone through and placed several kisses on her forehead. "How are you feeling?" he asked sincere.

"Quite alright now that you're here," she replied and she was being honest. After everything that had happened in the last couple of days she was glad that it had gotten to an end, even though Aglain had warned her about Morgana. She was going home again and nothing made her happier at that moment.

"But what is this ordeal with this wolf? Why does he refuse to leave your side?" Arthur wondered puzzled.

Lyanna petted Rollo who groaned in pleasure. "I don't know for sure, but Rollo seems to be kind of fond of me." She told him about how she had first met him and the times after that, and left out that Merlin had been there with her.

"Well, it's nice to have someone at your side that'll always protect you. Just like I do," Arthur returned and she smiled brightly at him.

* * *

It was after nightfall the next evening when Lyanna was strolling through the corridors by herself. She had spent the entire day with her father because he had been so concerned about her during her kidnapping so he was making up for that lost time. Her thoughts wondered to Rollo who she had to leave behind in the forest and she hoped that she would see him again. As she got closer to her own bedroom she heard the voices of Arthur and Merlin talking in a separate corridor, close to Morgana's bedroom. She hadn't seen Merlin since he had said farewell to her near the Druid camp.

"The King would have your head if he found out, and there's no point denying it," Arthur said to his servant.

"Denying what?" Merlin enquired.

"Your affections for the Lady Morgana." Lyanna leaned against the wall and drew in a deep breath. Several times she had wondered if there had been more going on between Morgana and Merlin, but perhaps it had only been a jealous trait because she now knew how she truly felt about the young warlock, and it was for the best that she kept it to herself.

Merlin chuckled and turned around. "Right."

"Take a bit of advice from someone who knows about women," Arthur suggested and placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Well, if such a person existed, I would," Merlin responded.

"Stick to girls who are more… how can I put it? On your level."

"Thanks," Merlin muttered.

Arthur smiled faintly. "She can't be your friend. Let alone anything else." Lyanna noticed that as he spoke he seemed to be thinking about someone other than his servant and she wondered who it was.

"Yeah, I know."

Arthur let go of him. "You can't hide anything from me, Merlin," he said before he strolled away into another corridor than the one that Lyanna was standing in. She sighed relieved when she turned around and now saw Merlin standing in front of her.

"You heard everything, didn't you?" he guessed. She nodded. "Surely you must know that I have no affections for Morgana. I just went to check up on her after everything that has happened during the last days."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, Merlin," she supplied friendly. "I wanted to thank you for creating a distraction the other day. If it wasn't for you the Druids surely would've been caught."

Merlin smiled down nervously at her. "I—I…. It was nothing," he responded.

Lyanna giggled. "You sure are one of a kind." With those words the princess of Camelot turned around and walked away to her own bedroom.

* * *

**I know that there is not enough Myanna in this chapter, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter and you're all going to hate me. Trust me. You will xD Anyway the friendship between Morgana and Lyanna is changing. I mean Lyanna risked her own life to help Morgana and then she hears that she cannot trust her and has to wipe out her memory. Of course she wonders if Aglain was right, but we'll find out the truth ;) Anyway I had replied to all the reviews but then my laptop decided to be funny and suddenly shut down so now I need to reply to everything AGAIN! Argh xD**

**EmilyGrace31: Thank you AGAIN for reviewing! :) They honestly warm my heart. Myanna will be a cute couple yes! ;) But there will be heavy bumps along the road. They'll discover that. I'm also a big fan of the sibling bond between Arthur and Lyanna because they really are each other's biggest fans and so close with each other. And yes more Arwen is also coming :D I love them. Of course Lyanna is going to be there for both Gwen and Arthur to help them haha. Bless you with your sweet words. Thank you dear :D *big hug***

**BurnedSpy: Thank you for reviewing! I hope this update came soon enough ;) and you have to be patient for a bit. They'll figure it out!**

**Lbunny: I hope that's an exciting eeeeeeeeeek ;P more eeeeeeeeeek moments will come!**

**Guest: The chemistry in this story will definitely reach a climax ;) Those two hot heads will figure it out! Thank you for saying that. I honestly don't know what to say because it's making you so excited to read this :) I'm just super glad that you like this story. Auw, that sounds like a painful place for a tattoo. But it sounds like a beautiful tattoo :D I've got two tattoos on my lower right arm and they weren't so painful. It's a good spot haha**

**jhahn1989: You've caught up with the story! I want to thank you for leaving a review on every chapter while reading it. Your sweet comments honestly made me grin so badly haha. Bless you. Yes, I thought that Lyanna's reaction to Merlin snapping a her was a bit dramatic but also quite realistic. Oh wow you honestly would react the same way? So would I! Let's blame the low self esteem shall we? :p I love writing those little intimate moments between Lyanna and Merlin because they're so pure. They both trust each other completely which makes it so much better awh. There will be plenty more moments like that :)**

**KattieWatsonHolmes: DID YOU READ WHAT I DID? YOU MADE A CAMEO APPEARANCE. I know that it wasn't exactly as what you described, but I did my best :) Yes, I'm sorry for making Merlin snap at Gaius and Lyanna like that but he made up for it like a true gentlemen :) I would love to go to Speedy's again and just eat lunch there. It all looks amazing! ****You can be the consulting detective since you already got the right gear for it haha. Yes you're right about the minstrels though. Should that mean I should write one in as well? ahha xD And yes cuddling on a nice and rainy day is very lovely. I'm sorry that it's going too slow for you haha I want it to be realistic xD but the snogging will be soon. REALLY SOON! Merlin is so adorable yes. I agree with you. He deserves all the sunshine and happiness in the world :) Will just needs to give you more kisses haha. I'll make the tea and give a good hug okay? Prepare yourself for a Myanna snog :) Oh. Well, I've been quite depressed lately so just letting all my feelings go into this story so I'm sorry if its sad now and then xD but besides that I'm alright. I'm just enjoying many long hikes through the forest and drinking loads of tea ;) Or watching some movies in bed. It's all good haha. BUT DID YOU LIKE YOUR CAMEO? I hope that I did it right :) I just didn't want you to smack my babies. But thanks for always reviewing, dear. You're the greatest! :D**

**221b has a tardis: I love Lylin as well :D It's very well thought of. But by now we've kind of chosen Myanna ;')**

**Alright! I'll try to update again in the weekend :) **

**Ohyeah, about Rollo. The wolf will be gone for an unknown while but he'll be mentioned a few times and will make a comeback one day to explain why he's so fond of Lyanna ;) won't happen for a while.**


	18. Lancelot and Guinevere

Bless everyone who takes the time to read this story! I love all of you with my entire heart and I wish that I could hug you all for it!

**Please enjoy this anticipated chapter! *hides behind the couch***

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter eighteen: Lancelot and Guinevere**

Lyanna looked through the window of her bedroom and saw that the entire city of Camelot was slowly waking up as the sun was rising higher in the colored sky. It was one of her favorite moments of the day because everyone was still so full of hope in the morning that this day was going to be a fruitful one. A few days prior Morgana had asked Lyanna to come with her and Gwen on a trip to her father's grave and she had accepted that offer, even when a voice inside her head told her not to. Right now she could still trust Morgana. She's my friend after all.

She turned around and stuffed some extra daggers into her riding boots. Lyanna was wearing a long forest green dress, and her long golden hair was weaved into a simple braid. When she had put her sword into her scabbard she left the room and descended down the long stairs. She was about to walk outside when someone grabbed her by her wrist. It was Merlin. "Milady, be cautious out there," he warned her, sounding rather worried. He wasn't too fond of Lyanna going away with Morgana because they couldn't fully trust her.

"I will, Merlin," she assured him as he flashed her favorite smile, which he only addressed to her because he knew she liked it. "Only if you'll look after Arthur during my absence. We don't want a repeat of last week's events."

He let out a loud laugh before he grinned. "It wasn't my fault that he lost his money," he retorted.

Lyanna chortled. "You used magic to enchant the dices so that you would win. I'm just saying make sure that he doesn't find his way to a tavern again. It's not good for him. Anyway I should get going." She gently freed herself from his loose grip and gave him a warm smile before she walked outside and down the front steps.

"Ah there you are," Morgana said relieved when she caught side of the princess joining them. "We were already worrying that you wouldn't show up."

She remained silent and easily mounted Lumiere in quietly. Arthur stood at her side and looked up at her. "Look after them, Lee," he pleaded. It took her a few seconds until she figured out that he mostly was referring to Gwen, for he had taken a lot of interest in the servant of late, but he never dared to admit what he felt for her. Neither of them did.

"I will, Arthur," she said.

Arthur turned to Sir Robert who was in charge of the knights that would escort the during this trip. "Make sure you return to Camelot before dusk," he said to him.

"Yes, Sire," the knight responded.

The party left and Lyanna looked back over her shoulder for a moment just as Merlin came down the front steps, carrying a large shield to assist Arthur during practice. Their gaze met for a moment and Lyanna smiled sadly before she returned her attention to the route ahead of her. Now was not the moment to be sad. It wasn't as if she would be leaving for long. She would be back at Camelot tonight.

As they reached the forest Lyanna gestured Lumiere to ride next to Sir Robert as she spoke softly with the knight she heard the conversation between Morgana and Gwen behind her. "You look troubled, Gwen," Morgana observed. "You're very secretive these days. I'm beginning to think there's a man involved." Lyanna was stunned that she was saying that to Gwen and not to her. Surely someone must've figured that she had a certain servant on her mind, but she kept her lips pressed together.

Gwen scoffed at that. "When do I get to meet any decent men?" Not when you're already thinking of royal prat.

They rode on for another while and Lyanna now interfered in the women's conversation because the subject had changed. Out of nowhere a group of armed bandits came down the hill. Some of them were on foot while others rode on their horses. The knights of Camelot immediately drew their swords surrounded the women in the order to protect them. Lyanna also drew her sword and was ready to fight of the bandits, but Sir Robert interfered.

"No, Milady. You must follow me," he instructed her, realizing that their chances of winning this fight weren't high. They were simply outnumbered and their only option to survive this was to run. Lyanna watched how the knight was shot in the in back in front of her and she felt her chest tighten because of that.

Gwen, Morgana and Lyanna were being pulled off their horses but Lyanna quickly killed the bandits with a few simple blows of her sword. "We need to head for the path! Go!" she instructed them. She looked around and saw that the men of Camelot were clearly losing this battle.

They left their horses behind and began to run for the path as fast as their bodies could run. As they hurried up the hill they all saw a man halting in front of them on a spotted horse, and dismounted smoothly. More bandits surrounded them and they knew that they were trapped. Lyanna growled annoyed. The man wore a black mask to cover his lower face.

"I warn you," Morgana began. "I am Uther Pendragon's ward and this here is his daughter, Princess Lyanna." She gestured to Lyanna, who looked alert and refused to let go of her sword. "He'll have your heads if any harm comes to us."

The man didn't seem to be touched by her words and took down his mask. "I have no intention of harming you. At least not yet. You two are much more valuable to me alive, Lady Morgana and Lady Lyanna."

Lyanna growled annoyed. Great, she thought. A manic with the intention of kidnapping them wasn't what she was waiting for. The situation was looking rather grim for them and they had no other choice than to follow them. "Just do as he says," she said to Gwen and Morgana. Both women nodded slowly.

They were being escorted harshly by some of the bandits and Lyanna knew that she was going to be covered in bruises when this was all over. None of the prisoners said a word as they walked between the trees, but often shared a hopeless look with each other. None of them knew what they could expect.

After about twenty minutes they had reached an encampment where more bandits were gathered. Their prisoners were being thrown into a tent so that they could have them all together in the same place without the chance of escaping. Lyanna cursed under her breath. She should've stayed at Camelot and she wouldn't have been in this mess, but that thought was giving her any hope. She had chosen to come along and she was stuck here. They now needed to find a way to get out of here. "Do we have a plan?" Lyanna asked the other women.

Gwen shook her head. "No, we don't even know where we are. And besides they are with too many men. It's impossible to sneak away without being caught," the maidservant protested in a hopeless manner. "We're stuck here."

Lyanna knew that she was right. "But there has to be a way to get out of help. Perhaps if we ask them a foolish thing like, if it possible for us to refresh ourselves in a river then they maybe take us there with only a few guards which make our chances of escaping more successful," she thought of.

Both Gwen and Morgana looked impressed at the princess of Camelot. "The presence of the soldier inside of you is quite brilliant," Morgana complimented her in awe. "All those hours discussing tactics with Arthur have served you well." Lyanna only snickered quietly at that. The King's ward peered between the flaps of the tent as the leader of the bandits approached them. "He's coming. We know what we must do." Lyanna and Gwen nodded as he entered the tent.

"I trust you ladies are comfortable," the creepy man assumed with a smug grin, which Lyanna wanted to run of gladly for him.

"I demand to know where you're taking us," Lyanna said to him, acting like a proper princess. The anger inside of her was burning vividly.

He didn't seem to stir at her status. "You'll find out soon enough, ladies. We have a long journey ahead of us. Get some rest."

The man turned around to leave, but Morgana stormed after him and out of the tent. "I wish to bathe," she said to him. Slowly Lyanna and Gwen followed the King's ward and anxiously waited for the man's next move.

The bandits rose from the ground and closed in on the tent to see what the ordeal was with their prisoners. "You wish to bath?" the leader asked bewildered, but quite amused.

"I am the King's ward and accustomed to certain standards and so does the Princess of the Camelot and the sister of Arthur Pendragon," Morgana ranted. "I'm sure that you are quite contented to stink like a pig, but we are not."

That only seemed to amuse the men. "The Lady Morgana and Lady Lyanna wish to bathe! Who wants to help me guard them?" he asked him more. Coarse laughter was being heard and none of them took them seriously, which was exactly what they needed. The leader chose one of his men to assist him with guarding them.

They roughly grabbed them by their elbows and pulled them along with them through the forest. Luckily enough the river wasn't far away from their encampment and Lyanna recognized the area that they were in. Morgana walked over to the river and slowly began to undress while the two guards watched.

"You may find the water a little icy," the leader said, smirking slightly. He then turned to Lyanna. "Don't you need to bathe, princess?"

She looked at him with a disgust look on her face. "Not really, I've taken a bath at the castle this morning before we left. Anyway that shouldn't matter. If you were kind of a gentleman, you would give her some privacy," Lyanna sneered.

He laughed softly. The man was quite satisfied with being allowed to watch the beautiful lady Morgana undress in front of him, which was the main reason why he refused to let them have some peace. "Well, unfortunately I'm no kind of gentleman. Now get on with it."

As Morgana removed her outer garments, Gwen got closer to his sword without being detected.

"You can at least turn your backs," Morgana snapped at the man.

"So you and your friends can make a run for it? Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"I think you're the biggest idiot in the kingdom," Lyanna said at the exact same moment that Gwen managed to pull his sword form his scabbard. The princess unsheathed her own which they had forgotten to take away from her. Morgana hit him in the face while Lyanna began to fight of the other man. Within a few seconds they were both lying on the ground.

The three women made a run for it and disappeared between the trees with great haste. "It's this way towards Camelot," Lyanna instructed them. Her many hunting trips in the forest sure had paid off.

They ran as fast as they could to create enough distance between them and their captures. Gwen stumbled and hurt her ankle. Both Morgana and Lyanna stop to go back at her. "Go! Both of you!" she told them

"Put your arm around my shoulder, come on!" Lyanna suggested.

The maid only shook her head. "No. we'll never outrun them. You two must go on without me."

"Not a chance," Lyanna protested and began to rip a piece from the skirt of her already damaged dress to tightly wrap it around Gwen's injured ankle. "I'll stay here with you. Morgana you need to go! Please! You must get some help! If you keep running in that direction you'll surely run into some Camelot patrol."

Morgana knew that they weren't going to let her stay with them. She handed the sword to the servant. "Take this." With those words the King's ward ran away from them in the hope that she would stumble across a patrol.

Lyanna and Gwen hid behind a tree as they both waited for the man that was pursuing them to catch in on them and easily tuck them down. Only to their surprise he had brought some company and they were surrounded by more than they could count. They were trapped. Again! Lyanna let out a growl in defeat as two of the man roughly grabbed her by the wrist again and escorted her back towards the encampment. Both women glared anxiously at each other in silence as they waited what would happen this time.

They were being thrown onto their knees in front of the leader as the rest of the bandits surrounded them. "How could you let the Lady Morgana escape and only keep the princess? Eh?! You bring me the servant! She's worthless to us!" He roughly took Gwen's face to have a closer look at her. He then took Morgana's dress and cloak and shove them at her. "Put 'em on."

"Why are you doing this to us?" Lyanna demanded to know and tried to wriggle herself free from the man's tight grip, but he didn't loosen his grip.

"Hengist wants to have the Princess of Camelot and King Uther's ward," he began to explain. "He has never met the Lady Morgana. For all he knows, she could be Uther Pendragon's ward."

"I will not impersonate my mistress," Gwen objected.

"Then you will die here where you stand," he threatened and put a sword against Gwen's throat.

This made Lyanna's stomach hurl. "Don't you dare to hurt her you piece of trash," she snapped angrily at him. She was tired of this ordeal and wanted it to be over. "Surely your mother must be proud of everything that you've accomplished in life."

Her comment didn't seem to have any effect on the man and once Gwen had taken on Morgana's clothes he ordered for his prisoners to be tight up. Shortly after that they mounted their horses that the bandits had captured for them as well, and rode away from the encampment. Lyanna had no idea where she was being taken to, which meant that no one back at Camelot knew either. Any hope of being rescued was gone. Whatever was going on they were on their own.

For several long hours they rode as neither Gwen and Lyanna said a word as they rode further away from the place that they both called home. Eventually they saw the castle in the middle of two hills, which Lyanna had never heard before in her short life. Whatever it was it couldn't be good.

They were both being escorted inside the castle and through the corridors until they reached the main hall. It was late in the afternoon when they were being brought in front of strange people. Lyanna eyed Gwen anxiously, unsure what was going to happen.

"Kendrick, I was beginning to think you'd failed me," the old man began as he rose from his chair.

"May I present you Lady Lyanna," Kendrick said as he gestured towards the princess. "And the Lady Morgana."

Hengist walked over to them to have a closer look, which made Lyanna look disgusted. The strong scent of this man was making her nauseous and she felt like throwing up in front of him. "You two are as beautiful as they say, My Ladies."

Lyanna was perplexed that he was being fooled so easily. He honestly didn't know what Morgana looked like because he believed she was the King's ward without any hesitation. "I demand you release us immediately!" Gwen ordered the man.

"Just as soon as Uther Pendragon pays the ransom," Hengist explained to them. "In the meantime, you'll two be my guest."

"I'll not be your guest, you filthy snail," Lyanna heavily objected and spat on the man's feet her protest to let him know that she was serious. "We are not your guests. We're only prisoners here after all!"

Hengist grinned amused. "As you wish. Take them to the dungeon."

Before they could protest they were once again escorted and they left the main hall. Two guards took them with them through the corridors until they reached the cells in the dungeon. Here they threw their 'guests' inside and slammed the door shut before they stormed away.

Lyanna sat down on the ground against the wall and exhaled deeply to process everything that had happened today. They were supposed to go on a simple pilgrimage to the grave of Morgana's father. Instead they were being held captive in a dungeon in a castle they didn't know was being located, without any possibility of being freed.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this," Lyanna apologized as Gwen said down beside her.

"There is nothing to be sorry for. You couldn't have known this was about to happen," Gwen replied, being the kind person that she always was.

Lyanna smiled faintly at her friend. "How's your ankle?" she asked concerned, suddenly remembering her injury.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it," she assured her. "Worry about finding a way out of this forsaken place." That made Lyanna chuckle quietly. Even though they were both captured she was glad that Gwen was with her so she wouldn't be facing this mad man alone.

"I've already looked around when we were taking in, but I wasn't able to spot any secluded doors that could lead us out of here. I'm afraid we have to wait until my father pays the ransom." It was a sad thought, but there was nothing else that they could do. They were at a strange place after all.

"Do you honestly believe the King will pay the ransom? I'm sure that Morgana has found her way to Camelot by now and is arguing for a group of guards to be sent out to come for us," Gwen supplied hopefully.

"Let's just hope that my father pays. It's all that he can do. It seems unlikely to me that he would risk the life of his guards. Besides he has no idea where we're being captured. All that Morgana know is that she escaped close to Camelot, so we could be anywhere by now. They know nothing of our whereabouts and therefore there will not come any help from the Pendragons I'm afraid."

"We should just rest a bit and see what Hengist plans to do with us," Gwen suggest, trying to remain calm. There was a small bed on the other side of the cell. "You can lie down if you want."

"I'm alright, Gwen. You can sleep for a bit. I'll keep an eye out," Lyanna gently objected. Gwen nodded as she rose and moved across the cell and lay down on the uncomfortable looking bed. Lyanna stared at the stony floor until she heard the regular breathing from her maid. It relieved her a bit that her friend was being able to sleep in these circumstances, because she certainly wasn't.

As she sat there in silence her thoughts went to the people that she cared about that were back at Camelot and she wondered what they were doing at this moment. Her father surely would be attending council matters. Her brother was probably too busy with training some knights, while Merlin would be cleaning his armour. Poor Gaius would be visiting patients in the lower town to check up on them, just like the old physician always did. Their lives simply went on without them. The saddest part was that she wouldn't be there with them. Oh, how she longed for a simple day back at Camelot. She would do pretty much anything to be freed from this cell.

After several hours of total silence Lyanna heard the door behind her creak open. She looked up as two guards walked in and opened the cell door, which caused Gwen to wake up. The guards grabbed the prisoners by the wrist and pulled them with them. "I demand that you tell me where you're taking me," Lyanna sneered, but they simply ignored her.

They were being escorted into the main hall. This time the hall was filled with many people who were chatting loudly as they drank loads of ale. The guards placed Lyanna and Gwen next to the each other at the table. They looked through the hall in horror, wondering why on earth they had ended up in a place like this.

Shortly after that Hengist joined them and dinner was being served. Well dinner. It didn't look like much to the luxury food back at Camelot, but it had to do for now. Lyanna chewed quietly on some chicken as she listened to the loud roars that came from the men. Some of them were laughing cheerfully as they had a woman sitting on their laps. Overall this entire situation kind of made Lyanna lightheaded, and she could tell that Gwen felt the same thing.

Both of them not said a worth in the hope not to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. Clearly Hengist misread that. "Silence," he shouted loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. They all eyed the man curiously to see what he was going to say next. "Our royal guards have grown bored! They need entertaining." Bandits laughed loudly at that and Hengist nodded at someone. A gate was being opened to a cage and a gladiator strut out who taunted the crowd. "Bring on the challenger!"

This wasn't exactly the kind of entertainment that they had been hoping for. At that moment the challenger entered the cage and both women anxiously held their breath when they recognized this person by his dark, but handsome features. It was Lancelot. But what on earth was the man doing on a forsaken place like this. He was destined for so much more than scrawling his money together in this way.

Lyanna slowly looked over and Gwen and they both were confused and worried about Lancelot and hoped that he would survive this match. His opponent was broad and strong, but Lyanna knew that Lancelot was a skilled swordsman. She had trained with him herself after all.

"Only one of you will emerge from the cave alive," Hengist informed the men. "Do you accept the challenge?"

Lancelot bowed to Hengist to let him know that he confirmed it. Hengist gave the sign for the fight to begin and both men immediately began to fight. His opponent started to swing aggressively with his sword, but Lancelot easily managed to avert his blows. Don't panic, Lyanna. He knows how to do this! You've seen him fight before!

The sound of swords clinging and that of the bandits and other people cheering were the only sounds that were being heard in the hall for a moment. Hengist watched the fight with glee in his eyes. Gwen grabbed Lyanna's hand and squeezed it terrified when Lancelot was being cornered. Lyanna gave her a reassuring squeeze.

He managed to free himself out of the corner and the man's sword landed against the iron bars and Gwen and Lyanna sighed in relieve. Never before had a fight given them so much tension.

The broad man may've been strong. He kept swinging aggressively with his sword. But Lancelot skills and proper fighting tactics were giving him the advantage. He managed to kick the man onto the ground as he lost his sword in the process. Lancelot held his own sword close to his opponent's neck. Everyone was waiting for the final blow to come, but instead Lancelot put his sword down and turned away, sparing the man's life.

Lyanna finally dared to breathe again now that this whole ordeal had been over. She watches Lancelot leaving the cave and walking over to Hengist. His eyes briefly met that of Lyanna and Gwen, but he said nothing to them. Hengist threw him a sack of coins as a reward for winning the fight. "What is your name?" Hengist asked him, rather impressed.

Before the ex-knight of Camelot could give an answer Lyanna already spoke, "His name is Lancelot," she replied, trying to speak for him. Perhaps if they knew that he was a friend of hers they would spare his life.

"Well, you must've been a skilled warrior if you've left an impression on the spoiled princess of Camelot," Hengist sneered with a smug grin. Spoiled. Lyanna clenched her hands to fist at that comment. She wasn't spoiled and she resisted the urge to jump at the man's throat, but stayed silent in her seat. "How do you know him?"

"That is none of your business, you filthy weasel," Lyanna spat angrily. "He's a more honorable man than you'll ever be!"

Hengist ignored her and turned his attention to Gwen. "It would seem that the Lady Morgana is really impressed by your skills."

Rather surprised, Lancelot bowed down to them. "My Ladies," he said.

Gwen didn't react and Hengist laughed. "Next time you fight, do not expect any mercy," he said to Lancelot. "Release the Wildren!"

The cage door opened and a large Wildren emerged into the cage and stormed to the defeated gladiator. His screams were pure torture as he was being eaten alive in front of a large audience. Lyanna felt sick once more and she couldn't believe that Hengist had chosen this twisted way to entertain these people. This man needed to be locked up for these illegal businesses. The man's screaming stopped and the crowd began to roar.

* * *

That night Lyanna slept little and the hours slowly crept by. It was around noon the next day when Lyanna was seated on the bed and thinking of a way to get out of here while Gwen paced through the small cell.

"Gwen, Lyanna!" a familiar voice said quietly.

Their thoughts were interrupted and both women looked at the small hole in the wall where they saw Lancelot standing at the other side. He looked rather relieved when he saw them. "I was terrified I might find your cells empty."

"There's been no word from my father," Lyanna enlightened him and crossed her arms. "I fear Hengist is growing suspicious." She wanted to ask the ex-knight so many questions about where he had been during the last year, but she knew this wasn't the right time to bring up memories.

Lancelot's gaze refused to look away from Gwen. "You must keep up the pretense. I will not allow you to die here," he responded to her.

Lyanna rose from the bed and paced to the other side of the cell. She knew that these two needed some time together and gladly wanted to give it to them. After all Gwen had really liked Lancelot when he had came to Camelot, and by the way that these two were looking at each other she knew those feelings hadn't washed away. A part of her felt saddened by that when she thought about her brother because he also started to like Gwen not too long ago. Lyanna had been convinced that the maidservant returned his feelings, but clearly she had been mistaking. It was a mixed up situation.

As she let them talk together her thoughts wandered to Merlin and she wondered if he was worried about her. It must've been driving him absolutely insane that he wasn't able to do anything to free her and that his hands were tied. But surely she longed to be away from here and to be back at his side more than anything.

"Lyanna, did you hear what Lancelot said?" Gwen asked her. "He'll come for us before nightfall."

Lyanna looked up at her friend. "No, sorry I was thinking about something else. But that's good news."

"Were you thinking about Merlin?" Gwen smirked amusingly.

The princess knitted her eyebrows together as she blushed. "I—I was not –"

"It's alright. You can just admit that you like him," she encouraged her. "I've known about it for a while now. It's the way that the two of you look at each other. It's like a blind man seeing for the first time. You're crazy about him."

"Alright. So I like him. It doesn't change anything because he could never be. I'm the Princess of Camelot and he's a servant. My father would probably execute him if he knew about my feelings for my brother's manservant. Besides we've kissed before but that had only been a spur of the moment. We promised each other we wouldn't do it again. We're meant to be friends."

Gwen grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "If it's meant to be it'll find a way."

Lyanna smiled at her. "But what's going on between you, Lancelot and my brother?"

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked perplexed.

Lyanna smiled shyly. "I was convinced that someone had happened between you and Arthur not too long ago because you're suddenly caring so much for each other. But then I saw you with Lancelot and I wasn't so sure about that anymore."

The maid sighed slowly. "I thought that I would never see Lancelot again and as soon as I did all those feelings came pouring back. I'm confused."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later."

Hengist burst through the door of the cell and looked at his prisoners. Both of them stood up sharply to see what that horrible wanted from them. "I've not yet received word from Uther that he intends to pay for your ransom. I was informed that the King was extremely fond of his daughter and his ward. Are you not surprised he is content to leave you here to die?"

Lyanna crossed her arms. "Perhaps my father has sent out some guards to get us back," she suggested. "He would rather do that than give one silver coin to a swine like yourself." Her anger for this man was rising with every second that she had to look at his dumb face. If she had to stay here for much longer she would probably harm him because she couldn't longer control herself.

"How can we know the King's mind when we're locked in your stinking cell?" Gwen taunted him. Lyanna was impressed by the way that the servant was behaving and showed little fear as she faced their capture. She had never seen her behave like that and it was something she admired dearly.

"If I do not hear from Uther by dawn tomorrow, this stinking cell will be the last place you ever see." Hengist cackled and left them as he slammed the cell door shut. Gwen and Lyanna slumped on the bed in distress, wondering what they could do.

* * *

It was the middle of the day when Arthur and Merlin were busy washing of the Gaia berries in the rivers after they had just encountered some Wildren in the tunnels to save themselves some time. "Gaia berries worked. Huh," Arthur said rather astonished.

Merlin slowly tilted his head at the prince. "You didn't know if they worked?"

Arthur shook his head and leaped onto his feet. "Not for sure," he returned.

The warlock practically jumped up at that. "Now you're telling me?!" he asked perplexed. "Oh! Oh, what's that Wildren eating? It's alright. It's just Merlin. You trying to get us both killed?" he ranted, visibly irritated. Arthur only laughed, but his smile quickly faded.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have risked your life like that," he apologized sincerely, realizing that he had been wrong.

Of course Merlin couldn't stay mad at Arthur. He would've probably done the same thing if he had known about this tunnel and now that they had reached the other side he was glad that they had because it had saved them almost a day of traveling. A day which they needed to try and rescue Lyanna and Gwen.

He still remembered how distressed he had been when Arthur had informed him that Morgana's party hadn't returned a few days ago. They had gone on a patrol when they had come across Morgana, who had been the only one to escape. When they had told the King he refused to send out a search party because he had no idea where his daughter was being held captive. Arthur and Merlin had then decided to take matters into their own hands to get the princess and her friend back. He had to get Lyanna back more than anything. He couldn't think clear anymore.

"Well, they do say love makes you do strange things," Merlin retorted.

Arthur looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Merlin grinned smugly. "Why can't you just admit your feelings for Gwen?" The prince scoffed annoyed. "It's so obvious. A blind man could see it. Is it really that hard to admit you like her? Just say it."

"I can't!" Arthur spat out, grimly, surprising the young warlock. "How can I admit that I think about her all the time. Or that… I care about her more than anyone. How can I admit that… I don't know what I'll do if any harm comes to her."

It was very recognizable for Merlin what Arthur described for him. He felt the exact same way about Lyanna, but he was too shy to admit that to him. She was his sister after all. He wouldn't be too fond if he found out about it and probably throw him into the stocks or sack him. Even thinking about her now made his heart race.

"Why can't you?" Merlin asked instead, remaining calm.

"Because nothing can ever happen between us! To admit my feelings knowing that… hurts too much," Arthur clarified sadly. Merlin could tell that this was hurting him badly. "My father won't let me rescue a servant. Do you honestly believe he'd let me marry one?"

Merlin's eyes widened in shock. "You want to marry Gwen?"

"No," Arthur blurted out, correcting himself. "No… I…I don't know… but when are you finally going to admit that you care for my sister?" That clearly wasn't what Merlin was expecting and he began to stammer as he blushed heavily. "There is no bother denying it. I'm not a fool, Merlin."

"Y—you're not upset?" Merlin stammered bewildered. "I thought you would'd be furious."

Arthur shook his head. "Ghastly no. You may be an idiot, but I can assure you that Lyanna is happy whenever she's around you and I rarely see her like that. She only deserve the best and apparently she wants you."

"I doubt it. She doesn't return those feelings and I'm just a simple servant. She is the princess of Camelot after all," he retorted hopeless.

The prince placed his hand upon his servant's shoulder to reassure him. "You and I both know that Lyanna doesn't care one bit about titles. If she likes you that will not stop her, it's the damn law that will create a barrier."

Merlin felt a bit stunned by being able to talk so openly about their feelings with each other. Surely he wouldn't have thought this to happen when he had first met the royal prat, but he was now seeing the prince for who he truly was and he couldn't help but admire the great King that he was going to become one day.

"I know," Merlin sighed. "Perhaps things will be different when you're King."

"I cannot expect Guinevere to wait for me," Arthur responded.

"If she feels as you do, she'll wait for you," Merlin assured his friend. As he spoke he realized that he was also kind of addressing himself. It was a nice thought to hold onto and it gave him the strength to go on, even if he knew that Lyanna didn't return the feelings. He just wanted her back safe.

"We don't even know if they're still alive," Arthur said grimly.

"No, they are. We will find them," Merlin said convinced.

Arthur turned around. "Come on. We've got a long trek ahead. Oh, and Merlin… if you dare to tell anyone about this, I promise I will make your life a living hell!"

"You mean more than you already do?" Merlin asked teasingly. Arthur returned a 'yeah'. "But only if you don't tell anyone about this either."

The prince looked at him and nodded. "You have my word. Now come on. We have to go."

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Gwen was being thrown into the cage where Hengist was waiting. Lyanna was being held by a guard just outside the cage, with her hands her bound. Hengist then turned to her. "Lady Lyanna! I keep asking myself, "Why does Uther not pay the ransom? He's a rich man, why would he leave his beloved ward and daughter to suffer a slow and terrible death."

Gwen shook her head several times. "I don't know. Please. Please," she begged as the man got closer to her.

"Hengist, get away from her," Lyanna threatened him, but once again she was being completely ignored by the suffocating man.

He grabbed Gwen's hand. "It must be very upsetting that Uther has abandoned you. It seems like no one in the world cares for you."

Gwen looked frightened, unsure what he was going to do to her. Lyanna anxiously bit her bottom lip as she watched what was going on. Because her hands were bound she wasn't able to use magic to find a way to escape from his hell-hole, and therefore she was pretty much forced to watch this encounter.

"I don't know why he doesn't pay. Please, I don't know," Gwen continued.

"Take her to the cell," Hengist ordered his men. "Bring Kendrick to me! Perhaps he can tell me why the Lady Morgana has the hands of a servant girl."

Lyanna held her breath as Gwen was being dragged out of the cell. Their eyes met for a brief second before Gwen was gone from the main hall, and Lyanna was alone with this man and a few guards. Hengist now turned his attention to her, clearly angry. "You knew," he spat as he walked out of the cage and towards her. "You knew this servant was pretending. Are you even the Princess? Huh?"

Because Lyanna didn't say anything Hengist released his anger by aggressively swinging at her with his hand. He looked her into her eyes before doing so again a couple of times. Lyanna felt her cheek becoming hot and warm from blood on her cheek and her lips that had swollen. Her right eye was hit and she could feel it throbbing, but still she didn't stir. She was a Pendragon and she didn't give in.

"Speak," Hengist ordered, and grabbed her by the wrist. When he began to twist them around Lyanna let out a muffled scream, but she was still able to detect the glee of amusement in his eyes as he did so. "If you do not speak I can assure you that harm will come to your friend."

That was enough for Lyanna to give up. "I am indeed Lyanna Pendragon, Princess of Camelot. Your man Kendrick had also captured the Lady Morgana, but she managed to escape. He told us that since you didn't know what Morgana looked like that my maidservant could pass as the King's ward," she explained, trying to keep her voice steady. "And I don't know why my father hasn't paid the ransom yet and I honestly believe that he won't and that's not because he doesn't care. He probably sent out a search party to come and find me."

Hengist let her information sink and knew she was telling him the truth because he had managed to break her. "That maybe so, but your daddy has no idea where you're being held captive," he grinned.

At that moment Kendrick was being dragged in and thrown into the cell. The poor man looked frantic and eyed the princess for a second before turning to his master. "Please sir, don't do this," he pleaded desperately.

"Lady Lyanna here informed me that you had captured the Lady Morgana, but had managed to let her escape. Therefore you had asked their maid to portray that part because you believed that I dumb enough to fall for it," Hengist described everything.

Kendrick held tightly onto the bars. "Sir, let me go. I beg of you."

Hengist ignored his rambling. "Release the Wildren!"

The door of cell was being opened and Lyanna heard the Wildren cry out. Once again she was being forced to watch this horrible ordeal but this time she closed her eyes and all she heard was Kendrick's terrified screams for his life, which were the most horrible sounds that she had ever heard. Pretty soon his screaming stopped and she knew that he had been killed, still she didn't dare to open her eyes.

Instead she was being grabbed by her wrist and was pretty much being thrown into a chair at the table. At that moment one of the bandits stormed into the main hall, looking flushed. "Sir, the Lady Morgana has escaped," he informed him.

"Well, go on then. Fetch her. She cannot have gotten far," Hengist ordered. He then looked down at Lyanna who now only dared to open her eyes a little. "You stay here!" He gestured to one of the guards to keep an eye on her before he stormed out of the main hall. Within seconds Lyanna was alone with the guard.

She thought of how it was possible that Gwen had managed to escape from the cell, but the only salutation that she had was that Lancelot had helped to free her. Now she could only hope that the two of them were successful enough to get away from the guards and made it out of here. It would bring her much relief to know that they were safe.

The princess was fidgeting nervously and even ended up tapping with her fingers at the side of the table as she sat there in total silence. The guard kept glaring daggers at her. "Can you stop that?" She snorted, but stopped. She was far too exhausted and hungry to argue with him right now. Lyanna knew that she needed to save her strength in case she needed to fight or something.

"Can I refresh myself?" Lyanna suddenly asked the guard surprising him. He only knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. "I've been beat up and I would like to refresh myself a bit and tend my wounds. Surely as a princess I have a right –"

"You have no right. I know what you're up to and I'm not a fool. You stay here. Hengist's order," he objected. "But I do have something for your lip and your cheek." He reached into his pocket and gave her a handkerchief.

Lyanna smiled at him in gratitude while she gently pressed the handkerchief against her broken lip to get rid of the blood. The handkerchief quickly changed red and she knew that she lost quite a lot of blood from the wounds, but without being able to tent them she could only press it against her wounds in the hope that they would stop bleeding.

Unsure for how long she had sat there Lyanna suddenly got surprised when Hengist entered the main hall, looking rather smug. During his absence dinner had already been served and lots of people had already made their way to the main hall for dinner. She cursed under her breath because she already knew that he managed to capture Gwen. "You're going to love this, princess."

At that moment Lancelot was being dragged into the cage and they tied him up. The bandits were laughing at jeering at him because they had captured the escaped man. But where is Gwen? Lyanna wondered. Had she escaped?

"Before you die, I can promise you the most unimaginable pain," Hengist assured him.

"You can do what you will with me," Lancelot answered indifferently. "I do not care. You can do no harm to Guinevere." Lyanna admired his answer. She could tell that he truly liked her friend and she was pleased to hear that. Only that didn't mean that he needed to sacrifice himself.

"Oh, was that her name, huh? The serving girl? And you really believe she's worth dying for?" Hengist questioned amusingly.

"She is worth more to me than you will ever understand."

Hengist nodded at one of the bandits and the gate was being opened. Lyanna watched with big eyes as Gwen was being dragged into the cage and they tied her up with her back to Lancelot. The princess felt all her hope fade. Her friends were captured and wasn't able to help them because her hands were tied. They weren't going to make it out of this.

"You thought she got away. No. You failed her. And that must hurt you "more than I will ever understand"." Hengist mocked him, causing the bandits to laugh loudly in return. "What do you say?! Shall I spare them?"

The bandits shouted, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

At that moment Lyanna abruptly stood up, having enough from this. "Hengist, if you as so much touch them then I will kill you," she threatened him venomously. She felt her heart beating in her ears as she watched him turn around to face her.

"Don't speak to me in such manner," he roared back at her as he strode over to her and hit her in the face again. Lyanna remained still, because she didn't know what she could do. "You're going to watch them! Release the Wildren!"

As the door was being opened the Wildren entered the cage and Hengist tightly held Lyanna's face so that she was forced to watch how her two friends were going to be brutally murdered in front of her eyes. Tears were streaming down her face as she anxiously held her breath. She caught herself screaming softly as the Wildren got closer to them.

Just in that moment Lyanna saw someone in the crowd climbing over the fence and into the cell. He took off his mask and she felt her heart swell in delight when she recognized his face. Arthur. He freed Gwen and Lancelot before throwing a sword to Lancelot so that he was armed.

Hengist was angry and made his way through the crowd, pulling Lyanna with him. One of the bandits had given him a crossbow and he aimed at the three in the cage. The chandelier above them began to break and crashed down and Hengist dodged it. Lyanna had been pulled out of the way by a strong arm. She turned her head in fear but felt her entire body heat up when she looked into two familiar piercing blue eyes. His eyes. "Merlin," she cried relieved. She had never been so happy to see someone in her life.

There was no time for a cheerful reunion. Merlin quickly undid the rope around her hands to free her. She picked up a sword from one of the bandits and jumped over the cage wall with Merlin right behind her. Lyanna briefly looked at Arthur who gave her a bright smile to see that she was still alive.

"The tunnel is our only chance," Arthur told them.

They all back down through the gate and into the tunnel. "Take Guinevere. I'll hold them off!" Lancelot said. Surprisingly enough, Gwen disagreed with him.

"Guinevere, we have to go!" Arthur said and pulled the servant after him, and further down the tunnel.

Lyanna was about to follow them when she heard Merlin chanting. She turned her head and in that moment the rope broke and the gate fell, trapping Hengist in the cage with the Wildren. They watched the old man scream in horror and Lyanna felt relieved to see that the man was being punished for all that he had done.

She felt someone grabbing her shoulders. "Lyanna, are you alright?" the voice asked concerned. Lyanna looked up at Merlin. "We have to go. Now." Instead of waiting for her to respond he reached for her hand and pulled her after him. As they ran Lyanna felt shocks go through her body and she was grateful that no one could see that she was blushing in this dark tunnel.

The four of them ran rapidly through the tunnel until they reached locked bars at the end. Arthur was busy with trying to break the chain. "Good to see you both," Lancelot said gladly. "Where are your knights?"

"It's just us," Arthur responded dryly. Lyanna was a bit perplexed at that. She would've thought that her father would send more guards with him. "Got to keep moving."

He broke open the gate. Lancelot offered Gwen a hand to help her up. She took it with a smile and everyone noticed it, even Arthur and he looked away uncomfortably. He watched everyone exit before he helped his silent sister out of tunnel. Whatever had happened in there she had gotten into shock.

Her timid body was shaking and she was pretty much lost on her own thoughts. Arthur protectively wrapped his arm around her to give her some support and she seemed to appreciate his effort. "I'm glad you're safe, Lee. It's all over now," he almost whispered and placed a kiss on her forehead.

They tried to make a safe distance from the castle. After walking for nearly thirty minutes Arthur finally believed that they wouldn't be followed anymore and allowed them to set up a camp for the night. Before Lyanna could argue with him that she wanted to help, Arthur carefully made her sit down on log. "You're in shock. You need to rest. Merlin, can you make a campfire?" His manservant nodded before disappearing between the trees to collect some twigs and broken branches.

Lyanna stood up anyway, not because she was being stubborn, but because she had to throw up. All the emotions from the last couple of days that had build up inside of her were coming out again. Surprisingly enough, Arthur refused to leave her side while she threw over in the bushes. Instead he held her knotted hair and reassuringly stroke her lower back. She couldn't help but see it as a sweet gesture.

Shortly after that Lyanna was sitting on the log again after Merlin had made a campfire. Everyone was gathered around the fire and there was an awkward tension feelable in the air.

"I'm surprised you would undertake such a rescue mission… with just the two of you," Lancelot began, gesturing to the prince and his manservant.

Arthur looked down. "My father would not risk the lives of his guards because he had no idea where Lyanna and Gwen were being captive, so he chose to do nothing."

"And yet you disobeyed him and came here anyway?" Lancelot enquired.

The Prince smiled faintly. "Truth is, I only came here to get my sister back and because Morgana begged me to save her servant," he answered. Everyone was having a hard time with believing his story, but didn't say anything about it.

"I think I will get some rest," Gwen said before she rose and walked away.

Arthur stood up as well. "We should all get some rest." He followed Gwen to the other side of the encampment.

"I'll stand guard for a while," Lancelot offered and leaped onto his feet as well before walking to the opposite direction so that he could have a look around.

"I need to stretch my legs for a bit," Lyanna suddenly said. It was pretty much the first thing that she had said since they had been rescued. She stood up.

"I'll just… sit here, then," Merlin muttered as pretty everyone had begun to leave him. Only Lyanna still stood before him and extended her hand at him. He looked up at his with his big blue eyes.

"I could use the company," she clarified. He smiled before accepting her hand as she pulled him onto her feet. Together the two of them strolled between the trees, and away from the encampment. Merlin was holding a torch in his hand so that they could see where they were going. They walked for five minutes until Lyanna was sure that they were out of hearing range. She used a few refreshing spells to get rid of the horrible taste in her mouth and to made it feel clean again, as if she had never thrown up. "You came here for me, didn't you?" she questioned him when she felt slightly better.

Slowly he nodded. "When Arthur told me that your party hadn't returned I became frantic and restless. I even began to annoy Gaius. When we found Morgana during a patrol she told us what happened. Arthur talked to Uther who refused to send out any guards, so Arthur decided to go after you and Gwen by himself so I came along with him. Even if he hadn't done that, I would've gone here myself," Merlin clarified. Lyanna's eyes became watery and she tried to blink her tears away. "When we arrived here I saw that man hitting you and I lost my control. I was about to kill him with my magic, but Arthur brought me back to my senses. I've never done that before." He carefully cupped her face and looked at her damaged skin. "He hurt you. How are you feeling?"

"It's not so bad. Merlin, I've spent days thinking that no one would come for us because I was convinced that no one knew where we were. I had kind of already accepted that I wasn't going to make it out of this place alive and I was relieved to think that you would be safe in Camelot. That thought gave me the strength to keep going. On the last day Hengist began to hurt me, probably because he was tired of my resistance. When I saw you I couldn't believe it. I even thought that I was dreaming. I never dared to believe that you would go through all this for me."

Merlin smiled. "I would go through Hell for you," he vowed to her, which warmed up her heart. "You're the Princess of Camelot, but you're also the most kindest and selfless person that I've ever met. You always put other's needs before yours. I admire that and –" Lyanna didn't let him finish and silenced him by pressing her broken lips against his. Her hands went around his neck and she pulled him closer against her. Once again Lyanna felt their magic swirling around them, and she could get used to this. Their kiss deepened with a hunger neither one of them knew that they possessed. Clearly they had both been wanting to do this for a while.

When they parted for air, their gazes remained intensely locked and they refused to let go of each other. "But I thought that you said that this was a mistake. You made it pretty clear the last time," Merlin remembered her, kind of heartbroken.

She exhaled deeply. "Damn what I said because I was wrong. The moment I had said that to you I knew that I had make a big mistake. I can't stop thinking about you! I want to be near you all the time! I'm crazy about you!" she almost shouted. As soon as she said that she knew that she had just admitted her true feelings for man that she cared for more than anything in the world and it felt as a relief to be honest with him.

"I thought that didn't like me like that because I'm just a simple servant and –"

"You're so much more than that. You're an honest and caring man. You may be an idiot sometimes and clumsy, but I like that about you. You're smart and you've saved Camelot countless of times," Lyanna retorted, her hands shaking. "I don't see you as a servant, I see you, Merlin, only you. I know that it is expected of me that I wed a nobleman one day, but that doesn't change what I feel. I care for you with every fiber of my being. I love you."

He surprised her by kissing her hungrily. She smiled against his lips as her fingers threaded through his raven hair. Merlin pushed her against a tree and as he let the torch fall from his hand, which now lingered down to her waist to keep her close to him. Lyanna opened her mouth slightly. She felt his lips close around hers even tighter than before, causing her to softly groan. They felt slightly breathless, but wanted more, and Lyanna ran her tongue along his lower lip. He tasted so sweet and so perfect, the smell of lemon and forest swirled all around her.

They parted for air again before they would lose control. They were both breathing loudly. Their cheeks were flushed and they were grinning widely. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that. I love you too, Lyanna," Merlin finally said and lightly kissed her lips once more.

Their foreheads rested together. "No matter how gladly I want to continue kissing you, Merlin, we have to make a few things clear. No one must know about this. Gwen is aware of my feelings but she doesn't need to know what happened."

He nodded. "Arthur also knows about mine."

Lyanna's eyes widened and she giggled softly. "He already knew about mine before I even did," she returned which caused Merlin to laugh. "We cannot court each other so we have to keep whatever this is between ourselves and see where this goes."

"You're right," he agreed and gently stroke her swollen lips. "We should return before Lancelot wonders where we have been and might suspect something and you need to rest after everything you've been through."

"But I have to say you look ravishing in this armour," Lyanna complimented him which made him laugh quietly before he chastely kissed her again. She knew that he had stolen this armour back at the castle so that they could blend in, but it was nice to see him wearing something else than his usual outfits.

Quietly the two of them made their way back through the forest until they reached the encampment. Lyanna gave Merlin a goofy grin before they departed and she found a spot to lay down. It didn't take long until she felt into a sleep with a grin on her lips.

She awoke the next morning when she felt someone gently shaking her shoulder. Her hazel eyes shut open and she looked directly into the eyes of her brother. "Lyanna, we need to go," he said with a placid voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than I did yesterday thanks to you and Merlin," she replied with her hoarse voice from sleeping.

Arthur smiled at her and helped her onto her feet. Lyanna turned her head and saw that Merlin was telling something to Gwen. "He said that some things can't be. He wanted you to know that you've changed him forever," Merlin said loud enough for them to hear. Lyanna knew that he was talking about Lancelot because the man was nowhere to be seen, but she kept quiet. Nevertheless she could tell that Gwen was heartbroken by that news.

She and Arthur walked towards the two servants. "We have a long walk ahead of us," he said to them.

No one argued with him. Lyanna was being placed in front of the saddle of Arthur's horse with him behind her, while Gwen rode Merlin's horse. The servant had to walk all the way back and Lyanna felt kind of upset about that, but he didn't seem to mind. Not a word was being said as they rode through the forest until they reached Camelot after a couple of hours. Never before had seeing the impressive towers made her heart swell in relief.

Once they had reached the courtyard Arthur helped his sister out of the saddle and she smiled gladly at him before she ran up the front steps and into the castle. Before Lyanna had made up the stairs she found Morgana standing in front of the window. At the sound of her footsteps the King's ward turned her head and smiled broadly when she saw her friend approaching her. "Lee, I thought that I would never see you again."

Lyanna quickly pulled her into a tight embrace. She was glad to see Morgana again after everything that she had been through the last couple of days, and ignored Aglain's warning for a moment. None of that seemed to matter at the moment. "I thought the same thing," Lyanna replied.

As they let go of each other Arthur walked up the stairs. "Morgana. There's someone here to see you," he said to her. He stepped aside and Gwen ran into Morgana's arms. Lyanna saw Arthur giving Gwen a pouty look while she hugged the King's ward before he sulked down the steps, clearly devastated.

"Come with me," Morgana insisted. "I'll prepare some tea so that you two can tell me everything that happened." Before Gwen and Lyanna could argue they were being pulled along by Morgana.

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***sweats nervously* Did I do it right? I hope that I did and that I gave them justice, but at least they now know about each others feelings and are acting on them :D It might be impossible for them to stay away from each other now they've figured this out. Time for the reviews! :)**

**Lbunny: *squeals with you* I'm glad that you liked it :D Thanks for the review!**

**KattieWatsonHolmes: Your reaction seriously warmed my heart. I was pretty anxious about your cameo because I thought that I hadn't done it right haha :p I don't think she has to appear again now that your babies have snogged xD I may have written it like that for you, I hope it pleases you. You don't have to accept any more kisses from Will, the waiting is over haha. Aawh thank you for saying that. I could really use a good cuddle session and some tea and movies or a book! You're the absolute sweetest! Thank you for always reviewing and many squish hugs back dear 3 (Haha your name is super lovely)**

**Jhahn1989: Lyanna is one of those people who is always helping others, that's why I decided that she would've gone to the Druids with Morgana. I wanted her to tell Morgana the truth so badly, but I also needed Lyanna to be cautious with Morgana and she is that now. And you described Lyanna wonderfully. She's really like that :) I hope there was enough Merlin and Lyanna for you. Thank you so much for your review!**

**Guest: I'm glad that you liked it :D They're good friends, but from now that may be a little strained because of the warning from Aglain. I love Rollo as well, he's a cutiepie :') He'll be back one day haha. It pleases to know that you'll always be excited for this story :D Thanks for the review!**

**EmilyGrace31: I'm glad that you went with happy because I don't want you to be sad :) I also didn't mean to play with your heart, but I just need Lyanna to be cautious around the King's ward ;) (am I really an evil person? :( I hope not) Yeeees more Arwen is coming and Merity as well :D By now I do realize that I may have played with your heart and I'm sorry for that haha. Thank you so much for the review, dear! **

**Hpuni101: Welcome to the story. Your sweet words really made me grin. Thank you for that I feel so flattered :) I'm not going to abandon the story. I'll update regularly . I hope this chapter was good enough and that there was enough Merity for you haha. Thank you for reviewing and being so sweet! **

**I'm not sure if I'll be able to update twice next week but I'll do my best ;)**


	19. The Beauty and the Beast pt 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

Bless everyone who takes the time to read this story! I love all of you with my entire heart and I wish that I could hug you all for it!

**A/N- **I've never gotten so many reviews for one chapter! You guys are absolutely amazing *gives you all a big hug*

**- x Milou Lilly**

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**Chapter 19: Beauty and the Beast pt. 1**

Lyanna was seated in the physician chamber as she was busy with preparing some potions to restock their supplies. The scent of rosewater and mint swarmed around her like a bee, but it didn't bother her anymore. After being Gaius apprentice for over a year now she had gotten quite used to it.

Merlin stormed through the door of the physician chamber looked rather annoyed and beat up. His raven hair looked rather mussed as if he had just ran his hand through it. Ever since they had proclaimed their love for each other about a month ago, not much had changed. Lyanna was mostly busy with helping Gaius, while Merlin was very busy with running after Arthur. They rarely had any time for each other, but every moment that they could spend together was cherished.

"Is everything alright?" Lyanna asked him, slightly concerned as she looked up from the bottle that she was holding in her hand.

He plopped down on the chair beside her and leaned on the table, which made her put down the vials' because he was pretty much lying on half on the stuff that she needed. A sigh rolled over her lips because of that, and he smiled his goofy grin at her. "Arthur just threw pot at my head because I was a bit to late this morning to wake him up," he enlightened her.

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows together. "Did he hit you?"

"Just the back of my head," Merlin said dryly as if it wasn't a big deal. Lyanna stood up and began to collect some stuff which confused him before she sat down at the chair again and her gentle fingers began to tend the small bruise on the back of his head. He groaned when she rubbed some herbs onto it and began to wiggle with his feet.

"Sit still," she ordered him calmly.

But instead of listening to her he continued his wiggling and suddenly whirled around, surprising Lyanna completely. Her lips were now inches removed from his and she understood what his plan was. His warm breath sent shivers down her spine. "No, don't you dare," she protested and quickly covered her mouth behind her hands before he could kiss her. Merlin let out a loud laugh before he grinned. He then raised his hands to show her that he surrendered.

Slowly Lyanna lowered her hands while her green orbs remained focused on his. Her cheeks were red by the sudden attention and she was smiling widely. Merlin expected her to return her attention back to preparing medicines, but instead she placed a light kiss on his lips. It was supposed to be a short kiss, but Merlin quickly deepened it and completely caught her of guard. Damnit.

They sat there together kissing each other for several minutes until they parted for air. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this," Lyanna breathed, gasping for air. She bit her bottom lip as he grinned.

"Neither can I. You're like a drug to me," Merlin retorted and tenderly caressed her soft cheek. She felt them burning under his touch as she leaned into his hand.

"I can say the exact same about you," Lyanna admitted. He was making her heart race, and her breathing go fast. Lyanna was astonished that he was having that effect on her, but when she was with him she truly felt alive. "I don't want to ruin this moment but I belief that I was tending your bruise and I hadn't quite finished because mister wanted to make out instead."

Merlin laughed loudly. "You can't blame me for that." Lyanna tried to keep a steady face as he turned around. She continued to rub the herbs on the bruise where she had left before she was interrupted.

"There. All done," she said once she was finished. "Was that so bad?"

He turned his head to her. "Yeah, I do think that you need to help me with soothing the pain?" Merlin grinned cheekily.

Lyanna knotted her eyebrows together. "You're a terrible flirt, Merlin," she chuckled at his attempt. Ever since they had admitted their feelings to each other they finally dared to open themselves up completely around each other, which had made the bound between them even stronger.

At that moment the door swung open and Gaius entered the physician chambers. He had just finished his round. "Ah, Merlin I'm glad to see you. We need to collect some pots," the old man said, sounding delighted.

At the mention of pots Merlin growled, causing Lyanna to giggle. After his encounter this morning he surely wasn't very fond of it. This was an activity Merlin and Gaius did together every Thursday and occasionally Lyanna went along with them. "Do you need my help, Gaius?" she asked him.

"If you wouldn't mind," he returned and she shook her head.

The princess leaped onto her feet and walked over the physician. Seconds later Merlin came sulking after her, clearly not in the mood to do this again, but he didn't say anything about it. The three of them strolled to the corridors and left the palace until they reached the lower town.

Within thirty minutes Merlin was laden with pots and Lyanna was carrying three in her arms as well while Gaius was walking in front of them, amusing himself. "Keep up, Merlin and Lyanna. We've got a busy day ahead," he said.

"It's a busy day every day. You and Arthur, you work me to the bone."

Lyanna was laughing quietly at their bantering. "Do stop moaning. At least the work's interesting," Gaius said back.

"Gaius, we're collecting pots. We do the same thing each and every Thursday and exactly the same time and nothing interesting ever happens," Merlin responded.

At that moment a man grabbed Merlin's arm and they all stopped. Lyanna was about to throw the pots on the ground to jump at the man, but Gaius held her back. "Please, we seek Uther Pendragon. Where can he be found?" the man enquired. No one answered and the man pressed a seal into Merlin's hand. "We have urgent business with the King."

"I'm sorry, any business you have with the King will have to be pursued through the usual channels," Lyanna informed him, trying to stay calm. They were something shifty about this man. Perhaps it was the way he looked with his rather strange ears, and unsettling smell.

Gaius looked at the seal. "But this is the seal of the House of Tregor. Where did you get this?" the old physician wanted to know.

"It does not belong to me," the man answered. He turned to the woman that stood beside him who pulled back her hood to expose her face. It was clear as day that this woman was of nobility.

Gaius and Merlin bowed at her. "I'm sorry. I do not believe that we've met before. My name is Lyanna, King Uther's daughter," Lyanna introduced herself to the middle-aged woman with dark brown hair and a handsome feature.

She smiled at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Milady. I'm Caterina of House Tregor," she answered, curtsying.

"Welcome to Camelot," Lyanna said politely. "Please, follow me. I shall take you to see the King so that you can discuss this urgent matter with him." Gaius took over the pots in Lyanna's arms before the princess walked away with the Lady Caterina and her servant.

"You are most kind, Milady," Caterina said gratefully as they left the market streets behind them and headed towards the castle.

"I'm just doing what everyone would do," she replied. That was all that was being said while she escorted them to the throne room where her father stood by himself. "Father, the Lady Caterine of House Tregor is here to discuss something with you."

Uther walked over to her. "Lady Caterina, is it really you?"

"I can hardly believe it myself," the woman replied.

Lyanna just stood there on the other side of the room and listened to everything that was being said. She found out that there had been an attack on the House of Tregor by invaders and only the Lady Caterina and her servant Jonas had survived. Lyanna couldn't imagine how horrible it must've been to watch everyone you care about die in front of your eyes. This woman surely was brave.

In the end the woman fainted in Uther's arms just after the King had told her that she was welcome to stay at Camelot for as long as she desired. A couple of servants escorted the unconscious woman and Jonas to the guest chambers where she would be staying and could rest after everything that she had been through.

It was around noon when Gaius had told her that he didn't require her service for the rest of the day and the princess had then rushed over to the training ground to help Arthur with training the knights. Once she was finally finished and had taken a well earned bath to soothe her muscles she changed into some formal clothes before she went to check upon Morgana because she hadn't seen the King's ward all day.

When night had fallen over Camelot the royal family was gathered in the dining chamber with their guest. Lyanna was eating her food in silence as she listened to the conversations around her.

"Well, this is wonderful. Thank you," Catrina said amazed.

"It's an honour. The Houses of Tregor and Pendragon have been allies for as… well, as long as anyone can remember," Uther responded, smiling.

"My father often spoke of you, My Lord."

"And I will remember him always," the King said.

Lyanna took a sip from her wine. "I'm sorry we didn't get the chance to meet him," Arthur said to their guest from beside his sister.

"I'm sorry too. For the House of Tregor is no more," Catrina sulked sadly.

"Well, no, Catrina, it lives on in you," Uther assured her.

"I only wish that were true."

"It is, My Lady. Your courage, your modesty. And you are as you always were, ever since you were a child," Uther continued. Lyanna had never heard her father mention the Lady Catrina before, but as she watched them interact she wondered what bond they shared when they were younger.

"Ah, I fear much changed since then, My Lord," Catrina answered.

"Oh, yes, it's true. You are far more beautiful now."

Morgana grinned while Arthur looked disgust by the sudden compliment. Lyanna rose, trying to keep a steady face. "I'm sorry, I had a long and tiring day and would like to retire myself," she said. "If you'll excuse me."

Arthur stood up as well. "Sorry, I also had a hard day's training. Excuse us," he said. Before the two siblings could walk away Morgana also rose and excused herself. The three of them quickly left the dining hall. As they walked through the corridors they couldn't hold in their laughter anymore. "Well, we've made the right decision by giving them some privacy."

Morgana and Arthur returned to their own chambers while Lyanna strolled through a different corridor until she reached the physician chambers. As she opened the door she saw Gaius holding out a vial with a purple liquid. "Give this to the Lady Catrina with my compliments," he instructed his ward.

"What is it?" Merlin asked sceptical as he took the vial.

"She'll know what it is," Gaius said.

"But what is it?" Gaius gave him a knowing look. Merlin smiled. "Okay, okay." The young warlock then turned around and got aware of the presence of the princess. "Hello Lyanna." He addressed her a warm smile before he walked out of physician chambers.

"Is everything alright with the Lady Catrina?" Lyanna asked a bit concerned. She sure hoped that nothing was troubling their guest. The woman had gone through enough.

"We'll see soon enough," Gaius responded mysteriously and Lyanna assumed that the man knew what he was doing, and she kept silent. As they waited Lyanna fluttered through a book that was lying on the table about poisons.

Merlin returned shortly after that and slammed the bottle on the table. "She didn't ask for it. She didn't need it. She didn't even want it," he rambled.

"Interesting," Gaius muttered. Lyanna listened to their conversation. "When I treated her as child, it was for an incurable disease. Catrina had a rare bone disorder affecting her joints. She often had difficulty walking, especially after a long ride. My tonic was the only thing that brought her relief."

Lyanna cleared her throat. "That odd because the Lady Catrina walks as well as you or I do," she replied a bit confused.

"So I noticed," Gaius responded.

"So…" Merlin began. "…the tonic was some kind of test?"

The physician nodded. "Indeed. And I'm starting to wonder if the Lady Catrina is really the Lady Catrina at all."

As Gaius said that Lyanna felt her chest tighten. She believed the old physician because she knew that he would never lie to her. Now that she knew this story about the Lady Catrina's bone disease she indeed wondered what their guest wasn't telling them. It saddened her to be thinking about that because she honestly liked the Lady Catrina, but it turned out that she shouldn't.

"Well," Lyanna began after a moment of silence. "I guess that we have to find out if the Lady Catrina is really telling the truth because she has taken quite an interest in my father."

"Perhaps I could look through the guest chambers tomorrow when she's not there to see if I can find something unusual," Merlin suggested wisely. "As a servant I have access to be there, and besides Arthur has told me I need to help Catrina in case she needs anything."

Lyanna tilted her head to the side and exhaled deeply. "Good. I don't think we have another choice but we have to be cautious, not to get caught. If you'll excuse me I should retire for the night. I'll come back tomorrow. Goodnight boys," she said with a wink.

"Goodnight Lyanna," Gaius and Merlin said in union as she walked out of the door of the physician chambers.

* * *

"Sit still," Gwen's voice ordered. Lyanna couldn't stop wiggling nervously with her feet on the ground. Last night she had barely slept because she couldn't stop thinking about what secret the Lady Catrina could be carrying with her. As soon as she had woken up she had wanted to find answers, but Gwen refused to let her leave before she was properly dressed. Lyanna couldn't argue with Gwen, and the servant knew it.

"I'm sorry," Lyanna muttered in return. As Gwen was busy braiding her hair Lyanna looked at her reflection in the mirror to pass the time. Her hazel eyes stood bright and alert. Her pale skin looked healthy and seemed to be glowing. Her golden hair looked soft and strong. Overall she thought she looked alright.

"How are you magic skills coming along?" Gwen asked interested to keep the conversation going.

Lyanna removed her gaze from the mirror which lingered to her close friend. It still felt very pleasant to be able to discuss these kind of matters with her. "My powers still aren't too great and they probably never will be, but I enjoy using it. It makes me feel free and alive."

Gwen smiled. "But isn't that what really matters?" the maid enquired and Lyanna nodded in agreement. "It's a part of you and it's important that you can be yourself."

"Well, I can't really be myself here can I? I have to be cautious with everything that I do in case someone discovers the truth. It's a scary thought to live with, but slowly it's becoming a second nature to me," Lyanna answered honestly.

Gwen let go of her hair and stepped in front of Lyanna so that she was looking at the princess of Camelot. "Listen to me," she insisted seriously. "I understand that it must be scary to be having a secret like and especially for your own father. But it doesn't change you. You're still the amazing woman that everyone in this kingdom admires dearly. Me in special."

That made Lyanna chuckle and she quickly pulled her friend into her arms. "As long as I've got you on my side I'm happy, Gwen."

"Yes, and Merlin," Gwen muttered softly.

"Gwen are you mocking me?" the princess asked, pretending to be offended as she let go of her.

She laughed loudly at that. "Maybe. There's no reason to be ashamed about it. Merlin is an honorable man."

At the mention of the man that she loved Lyanna felt her heart swell and she blushed. "Yeah, he sure is," she sighed happily. She looked through the window and saw Uther and Lady Catrina riding through the gates and heading towards the forest. It was a nice day outside and clearly the King had decided to take their guest on a picnic, which was perfectly logical. "I—I need to go," she apologized and headed to the door. "Will I be seeing you later today?"

"Sure," Gwen assured her. "I'll be here tonight if want me to."

"I would love that. Thanks, Gwen, you're the best," Lyanna said gratefully before she hurried out of her bedroom. She descended down the stairs until she reached the second floor and walked through the long corridor. As she stopped in front of the guest chamber she slowly knocked on the door. She heard something being said on the other side of the door, but she couldn't understand what exactly. Lyanna opened the door and peered inside. She found Merlin standing near the bed with a laundry basket at his feet.

The stench that entered Lyanna's nostrils was overwhelming and made her stomach turn, causing her to almost throw up. She paced further into the room while she did her best to breathe through her mouth so she didn't have to smell that horrible stench, whatever it was.

Merlin was kneeled down at the bed and examined the bed thoroughly. Lyanna could see that the covers were neatly folded, as if no one had slept in the bed last night. She doubted that Catrina had folded it herself before she had left this morning.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked.

They both turned their heads and suddenly saw Jonas standing in front them. "No. Er, I—I—I was—I was just changing the sheets," Merlin lied, stammering.

Lyanna nodded. She needed to have an excuse for being here. "I'm sorry that I barged in here. I was looking for the Lady Catrina, but it would seem that she's not here. Can you tell me where I could find her?"

"The Lady Catrina is out riding with the King, Milady," Jonas informed her.

"Well, thanks for informing me, Jonas. You are most kind. I'll try to find her later today," Lyanna answered with a fake smile.

"All done. Thank you," Merlin muttered before standing up and heading towards the door.

"Merlin," Jonas called after the servant. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Merlin stopped walking. Jonas turned around to fetch something and they caught a glimpse of a green forked tail. They both looked shocked, but quickly hided it when Jonas looked back and held out the laundry basket."

"We should be going. Thank you, Jonas," Lyanna said before she and Merlin walked out of the guest room. As soon as she door fell shut behind them again Lyanna dared to breathe again. She was still a little bit shocked by what they had just seen. "Did that just happen?"

The warlock licked his lips before he spoke, "Yeah, I think it did. I'll go tell Gaius so you can go to the training with Arthur," he suggested.

She flashed him a warm smile. "Thanks, Merlin." With those words she walked away and made her way back to her chamber where she quickly changed into some armour. Ten minutes later Lyanna was standing on the training ground. It felt surprisingly pleasant to swing with a sword and forget about Jonas and his green tail for a moment.

"Is everything alright?" Arthur asked concerned as he stood beside me.

I nodded. "Yeah. Just tired I guess," Lyanna lied. She didn't want to tell him about what she hadn't seen because he wouldn't believe her. It was for the best if they waited until they had completely figured out what was going on.

Arthur placed his hands on her shoulders so that she had to look him in the eyes. "Just so you know that you cannot keep any secrets from me. I'm here if you need to talk alright," he assured her.

Lyanna felt incredibly grateful to have him because of that. "You can be kind sometimes," she teased him and quickly kissed his cheek. "You're a wonderful brother." He laughed at her before the two Pendragon siblings turned to the knights and began today's training.

"Ready to spar, Milady?" Sir Leon asked with a pleasing smirk.

"Quite ready," she replied teasingly. The other knights laughed amusingly beside them as the two of them began their usual friendly battle. As soon as their swords clashed Lyanna felt better because she was distracted. In the end it was Sir Leon who had won today's battle. "I believe congratulations are in order, Sir Leon. You fought well."

"As did you, Milady," he retorted with a gentle smile. Lyanna swept the sweat from her brow and her eyes quickly caught that of Merlin who was watching from a distance. He gave her a warm smile before she turned to the other knights. One of the newest knights was having some trouble with his stance.

"You need to put your feet down properly," she told him. Bowyn was around her age with long brown hair that almost hung in his eyes, and his eyes were light grey. He was rather handsome and Lyanna was convinced that the women would be running after him.

He flashed her a nervous smile. "I—I'm trying, Milady."

She put her sword down and walked over to him to demonstrate the proper stance. "Just like this, Sir Bowyn," she instructed him with a placid voice. "You're doing well, but you cannot fight of bandit if your stance is not right. It's the most important part of fighting." Carefully Bowyn followed her example and Lyanna grinned proudly. "That's it," she cried out relieved. "That's wonderful. Just keep practicing that and you'll be one of the finest knights this kingdom has."

"T-thank you, Milady," he stammered gratefully, and bowed a bit clumsy. She let out a laugh before she started to help Arthur out.

"Don't help Sir Bowyn too much, dear sister, because I believe he has a thing for you," her brother said softly, so that no one else was hearing their conversation. Lyanna's gaze lingered back to the knight and her eyes widened when she found that he was looking at her. Arthur noticed it and laughed heartily.

"Oh no," Lyanna cried out. Having a knight running after her wasn't exactly what she desired. The man seemed to be besotted over her which was something she didn't understand at all because there was nothing special about her.

Arthur tried to stop laughing. "Ah, come on he's an honorable man. Or do you happen to be thinking of a certain servant with blue eyes, black hair and obvious ears?"

Lyanna blushed. "Well, aren't you thinking of a certain maid, who's very lovely?" she returned and knew that she had him right where she wanted. He stopped laughing and his face straightened which caused her to grin amusingly. "So, stop teasing me then."

He raised his hands a bit to show her that he surrendered. "You are too smart for your own good," Arthur responded amusingly.

"I guess that's a trait we don't share then," Lyanna laughed. It felt nice to be able to joke around with her brother like that. Arthur wrapped his arm around her shoulder while she placed a kiss on his cheek. No knight looked stunned by the public affection. They were all aware of how close the two royal twins were with each other and seeing them together like that kindled their spirits. "I'm just messing with you. I hope that Gwen returns your affection one day."

The seriousness returned to the prince. "I highly doubt it. We all saw how heartbroken she was when Lancelot had left her. Clearly she's in love with him." Lyanna paused for a moment to think but Arthur stared at her. "You know something that I don't."

Lyanna shook her head. "I can assure you that I know just as much as you do. Just because she's my closest friend that doesn't mean that she tells me all about this. Yes, she did like Lancelot, mainly because he was her first love. I'm not going to out-rule the fact that she'll get over the man one day and will realize what an honorable man you are."

Her kind and reassuring words put Arthur at ease. "But even if she did return my affection nothing could ever come of it, Lee." He noticed the hurt in her eyes. "I guess we're both in the same pickle, aren't we?" Instead of saying something she pulled him into her arms. He quickly returned the embrace. "Does he know?"

"Yes, he does because I've told him," she muttered softly. "But it doesn't change anything. You and I both know that we would have to wed someone noble one day."

Arthur tightened his squeeze. "I know," he sighed sadly. "Everyone knows how overprotective I am over you, but I've told Merlin that I was alright with what was going on between the two of you because he makes you happy." Lyanna didn't know how to respond. Her heart swelled joyfully because of what he had said. "Lee, no matter what you choose I want you to be happy. You deserve it."

"As do you," she replied into his chest. "It's that stupid law, Arthur."

"I know," he answered and slowly let go of her. He placed a kiss on her forehead as she giggled quietly. "At least we have each other in this."

"We should continue the training before everyone wonders if someone is wrong with us," Lyanna suggested. She could pretty much feel the worried eyes of all the surrounding knights burning in her back. Of course it was an odd sight to see the two of them looking as gloom like that. Arthur gently ruffled through her golden hair, which only encouraged Lyanna to return the favor in his mop of blonde hair. He laughed heartily as their tenderness got more rough. " Arthur, stop it," Lyanna cried out as the tears roamed her cheek because she was laughing so freely.

"Only if you surrender," the prince retorted teasingly.

Lyanna let out a loud scoff. "I wouldn't dream of it. The day that I yield to you donkeys have learned how to fly," she replied with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, you take that back!" Arthur almost shouted. Lyanna giggled as her sides began to hurt from laughing.

Eventually their teasing came to an abrupt end when they heard someone clearing his throat behind them. "Sire. Milady." The two siblings looked up with flushed cheeks to see Sir Leon standing in front of them. Lyanna tried to hide her smirk as Arthur straightened his face. "Is all well?"

"Y-yes, all is well, Sir Leon," Arthur assured the knight. "Princess Lyanna I were just messing around. There is nothing to concern you." Lyanna smiled angelically as she tried to control her wild and messed up hair. She saw how Arthur's hair resembled that of a birds nest and he quickly ran his hand through it to adjust it a bit. When Sir Leon turned to the other knights, Arthur looked at his sister. "Well, if you had surrendered -"

Lyanna rolled with her eyes and cut him of. "In your dreams, Archie." He laughed before he turned around and joined the rest of the knights.

The rest of the day went by quietly. Lyanna decided not to eat dinner with her father and their new guest because she assumed the two of them needed some privacy and didn't want to be interrupted. Therefore Lyanna had eaten her dinner in her bedchamber together with Gwen while the two women chatted animatedly.

It was already late in the evening when Gwen had said her farewell and the princess was left on her own. She was seated in the chair that stood in front of the window as she was reading a book that Geoffrey had borrowed her from the castle library. It was an old book about the outlying kingdoms and was very interesting to read. For several hours she sat there by herself until she heard something crashing.

Her eyes widened in shock as she looked out of the window and saw something lying on the ground. Wondering how it was possible to fall down in the middle of the night she suddenly heard the voices of Arthur and Merlin discussing something in the other room. Probably something had happened there.

Before Lyanna could sit down the door of her bedroom swung open and Merlin stormed looking rather relieved to see that she was still dressed. "What's wrong?" Lyanna asked, noticing the confusion in his eyes.

He walked over to her, but averted his gaze to his feet. "I thought it would be a good idea to spy on the Lady Catrina to see what she's hiding. I stole a mirror from Arthur's drawer and used magic to lift it to her room to have a peek and- " he paused. "I think that the Lady Catrina is a troll."

Lyanna cocked one of her eyebrows at him as he looked up to meet her gaze. "A troll? Are you sure?" She knew that the guest was hiding something, but being a troll was surely not what she was expecting.

Merlin shrugged doubtfully. "I'm not entirely sure. I saw something in the mirror but then Arthur suddenly stood behind me and I dropped the mirror. He now believes that I was spying on the Lady Catrina because she's a beautiful woman." Lyanna snickered quietly as Merlin's face straightened. "I don't see why that's funny, Lyanna."

"Oh, but it is," she replied, trying to stop grinning. "Honestly it has given Arthur the completely wrong impression. Anyway if what your saying is true and the Lady Catrina is indeed a... a troll, then we must follow her. I've read that troll's like to sleep in filthy places, especially where there is loads of... dung." Only speaking about a disgusting place like that already made the princess nauseous. "Well, we know for certain that she doesn't sleep in her bed here."

"So, what's the plan?" Merlin enquired.

Lyanna smirked. "We're going to have to follow Catrina to see what she's up to tonight. Come on." Lyanna picked up a grey cloak from a nearby chair and clasped it around her neck.

"But it could be dangerous if she's indeed a troll," Merlin butted in, being extremely cautious. Lyanna send him as reassuring glance.

"Merlin, loosen up a bit. If you're indeed right then we have find a way to stop this troll from whatever it is that she desires. I have this gut feeling she's after my father, but we cannot be certain yet. Like I said, we need to follow her first."

He still wasn't convinced and Lyanna let out a sigh before she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along with her. They descended down the stairs and just as they turned around the corner they saw a cloaked figure walking down the corridor. By it's shape Lyanna already figured that this was indeed the troll that Merlin had seen.

They followed it out of the castle and to the outer walls. Both of them were wondering where they were being leaded. They went into a secluded entrance only a few people in Camelot knew about and turned around the corner. A foul and horrible stench overwhelmed and they both gagged before they covered their mouths behind their hands.

At the end of the tunnel lay a troll in the middle of a filthy hay and loads of horse dung. Big flies were hovering around. The troll was sound asleep and was wearing the same dress that Lady Catrina was wearing today. As the troll farted Lyanna quickly turned around before she would throw up right where she stood.

Merlin followed her and the two of them ran until they had safely made their way back into the palace before they dared to speak again. "I cannot believe we have a troll as a guest here," Lyanna said disgusted. "We have to find a way to stop her."

"We'll look into it tomorrow. Right now you should get some sleep because it's already late. I'll inform Gaius about what we found out," Merlin suggested. Lyanna nodded slowly. "Goodnight, Lyanna."

"Goodnight, Merlin," she said as she watched the young warlock leave until he disappeared around the corner. Lyanna closed the door behind her.

* * *

It was probably a few hours after dawn when Lyanna was already walking through the castle corridors by herself after she had just gotten dressed with Gwen's help and had eaten some breakfast. The guards let her enter the throne room where she found the King seated on his throne, talking to one of his councilors. As he saw her approaching he muttered something to the councilor before the old man quietly left the room and closed the door behind him, giving the some privacy.

"For what do I owe the pleasure of you being here?" Uther asked a bit skeptical.

"There is none, Father," she assured placidly. "I just wanted to see how you were doing since I haven't seen you yesterday."

Uther nodded. "That's right. I was out for a ride with Lady Catrina yesterday and we had a picnic near the river," he said to her. Lyanna smiled faintly at him to encourage him to tell more. "The woman really has gone through a lot in her life and she finally seems to ease down since she has gotten here."

"She sure has," Lyanna agreed with him, keeping up her façade. She cleared her throat. "But don't mind me asking, Father, but is something going on between you and our guest? I mean, she seems to be quite affected by you if I'm not mistaking." This was her way of warning her father to be alert, without having to blurt out that that Lady Catrina wasn't who she claimed to be.

The King narrowed his eyes. "Nothing is going on between us, dear one. Lady Catrina is a lovely and a most kind woman. I just want her to feel welcome here after all that she's been through."

"Of course, Sire. If you'll excuse me I should meet up with Gaius," Lyanna quickly said before making her way out of the throne room to leave her father to tend his business. As the doors shut behind her she inhaled deeply before she walked down the corridors until she reached the physician chambers. "Gaius, is there anything that I could do to help?"

The old man shook his head. "I think I'm going to talk to the King about it," he said. "He deserves to know."

"Perhaps," Lyanna muttered as she approached him. "I've already spoken to my Father about our new guest without mentioning that she is a troll, but he is quite fond by her. She's very beautiful and kind, and that is what he sees. Not that horrible and foul troll that we saw. My father is not easily convinced when we don't have any proof."

Gaius placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly at her. "I'll give it a try," he responded. "Could you please make these medicines while I'm gone?"

Lyanna nodded. "Sure, not a problem. Maybe you're the one who is able to get through that thick skull of my father." She watched the old physician leaving the quarters before she turned around and sat down at the table by the window and began to cut some ingredients. It was a perfect distraction.

She sat there by herself mincing some roots for medicines for an unknown as she often looked through the window and watched the villagers outside living their ordinary lives and a part of her wished that her life was that simple. While she was busy she was so concentrated that she nearly jumped out of her skin when the door of the room swung open with a loud bang and Merlin entered. Just looking at him caused her cheeks to flush.

"Sorry," he apologized, sounding sincere. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Lyanna licked her lips before she smiled. "Don't worry. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just fleeing from Arthur for a while," Merlin answered and Lyanna grinned when he sat down at the other table, leaving her to her work which she much appreciated. He was someone who always worried if he wasn't annoying people, but he rarely did. It was just a lack of coincidence, but Lyanna found it adorable.

She continued to mince some roots while she often looked up, only to see him staring at her. "Do you like what you see?" Lyanna asked with a smirk.

His cheeks turned red and his eyes widened. "Y-yes I do," he told her and she laughed quietly. "It's hard not to stare."

Her heart swelled at that. If this truly was what being in love felt like she never wanted to give it up. She gestured for him to sit down beside her, which he quickly did. "You're such an adorable dollophead," she said dreamily. "You can help me then."

"Sure," Merlin said and handed her the next ingredient on the list.

Together they sat there chatting animatedly and did her work until Gaius. By the grim look in the physician's eyes Lyanna new that his conversation with the King hadn't gone smoothly.

"Please don't say anything, Merlin," he said to his ward.

Merlin stood up and raised his arms to show that he meant no harm. "I wasn't going to say anything," he assured him. Lyanna only eyed the two of them with a raised eyebrow, wondering what she had missed.

"You were going to say, "I told you so"."

"Ok. I was. But I... I'm not going to now."

Gaius sat down at another table. "Uther didn't take it well."

"Augh, you see? I told you..." Merlin stopped in the middle of the sentence and pressed his lips into a thin line. Lyanna snickered quietly. "Sorry."

"Did you tell him that his guest is a troll?" Lyanna wondered.

Gaius nodded. "But I know Uther. He's a proud man, but he's not stupid. He will reflect on what I said. I'm sure he will," he said positively.

Lyanna remained skeptical. She knew her father too well. He wasn't a man who was easily persuaded because he was headstrong. Uther wouldn't believe them without any form of proof.

"Let's hope you're right."

The princess exhaled deeply, growing restless. "Do you need my help with something else Gaius?" she asked instead, changing the subject. He shook his head. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to go." She gave the two men a faint smile before she walked out of the physician quarters. There wasn't any place that Lyanna needed to be, but she just felt like doing something else. She decided to find Gwen because she just needed to talk with someone.

* * *

The sound of someone knocking on her door slowly woke Lyanna from her sleep. "Milady, are you awake?" a voice asked, and she recognized it as that of Merlin. She leaped out of bed and quickly tied her long, golden hair into a simple bun.

"Yes, give me a minute," she called back.

She made her way to her chamber fold and changed into the same crimson dress that she had worn the previous day. The bodice was giving her some difficulty because it was rather tight, but she tried to put everything into place as fast as she could. Once she was dressed she exhaled deeply. "You may enter," she said.

Almost immediately the door swung open and Merlin strode into her bedroom. "I'm sorry if I woke you -"

"Don't be," she assured him in her usual friendly manner. "Is everything alright?"

He closed the door behind him before he approached her. Lyanna could tell that he was looking rather tensed, which didn't put her at ease. Something was clearly troubling him. "Gaius wants one of us to use magic to expose Catrina in front of Uther," he enlightened her.

Lyanna's hazel eyes widened. "He wants us to use magic in front of my father?" she repeated puzzled. Merlin nodded slowly. The thought of getting caught was terrifying, and she felt her blood run cold. "Is there no other way?"

"I'm afraid there isn't. We have to find a spell that will reveal her true identity so we can show everyone who she truly is," Merlin answered. "It's all that we can do."

She took a deep breath. "Then we have no other choice than to find a way to work with troll magic," Lyanna replied. "Do you want me to come up with an excuse for stealing you from Arthur so he won't be suspicious?"

He let out a loud laugh. "The last time that you did that he thought that we had gone on a date."

Lyanna giggled content at the memory of their picnic at lake Avalon. "Well, would that really be a bad think?" she teased him as she closed the distance between them. "I mean, wouldn't you much rather go on date with me than having to wash Arthur's dirty socks?" she whispered into his ear. "There are many exciting things that we could do." She felt him shiver at that.

Merlin tilted his head to get even closer to her and their lips were inches removed from another. His warm breath caused goosebumps to appear all over her body. Before their lips met, Lyanna stood on the tip of her toes and pressed a light kiss on his nose. She heard him laugh in shock, which only encouraged her to laugh even louder. "You are such a tease, Princess Lyanna," he stated in amusement as she turned away from him. Merlin instead pulled her back against his firm chest. Their gaze locked and the same tension returned. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers and she eagerly kissed him back. Her hands cupped his face as one of his hands rested on the back of her neck, and the other on her waist to keep her there. Both of them felt their magic swirling around them and even inside their very core.

Lyanna felt the kiss deepen. Neither one of them felt the urge to stop, because they were both too addicted to each other. It felt too good. The sound of someone knocking on the door broke them apart. Their gazes locked for a moment, both annoyed with this person that had interrupted them. Their breathing was loud and fast and their cheeks flushed.

"Who is it?" Lyanna then asked.

"It's me Arthur. I'm going to come in now."

Lyanna quickly pulled away and took a few steps back to create some distance between her and Merlin so that Arthur wouldn't be suspicious before her brother entered her bedroom and closed the door behind him. "I couldn't find my servant anywhere. I should've known that he was here to show his affections to my dear sister."

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows together. "Arthur, please. Now that I'm seeing you anyway can I ask you if it's alright if I can borrow Merlin from you today?"

Arthur shot his sister a glare before looking at his servant. "You want to borrow this idiot?" Lyanna sighed. "What for?"

Of course Lyanna hadn't thought of a good reason yet and was trying to think of something at the spot, but Merlin beat her to it. "She and Gaius need some help with looking after some patients in the lower town, and since I have a little bit of knowledge about healing they thought I might be able to do it," Merlin lied, trying to sound convincing. Lyanna had to keep a straight face when Arthur looked at her.

"Out of all the people in Camelot you turn to him for help?" he asked bewildered.

"Yes. Because like he said he has some skill, which is exactly what we need. I hope you don't mind," Lyanna replied, smiling at him.

Arthur paused for a moment before he let out a sigh. "I hope that he works better for you than he does for me because he's a dreadful servant." With those words the prince of Camelot left her bedroom.

Lyanna felt relieved that he had fallen for it. "Come. We have an important spell to look for," she said. The two of them also left her bedroom and made their way to the physician quarters. Gaius looked relieved to see them there. "Gaius. Do I need to get more books from the library that might contain a spell that we can use?"

He shook his head. "All the important books are already here. It must be in one of these. We better try looking through them first," he suggested.

Her eyes went to the pile of books that was scattered on the table and she exhaled deeply. It was going to take them hours to look through all of the, and she wondered if they had enough time before Catrina would make her next move. "Great," Lyanna said sarcastically. "I'll make some tea." She turned towards the small kitchen and placed the kettle above the fire.

Hours slowly went by and it was morning already while the three of them sat around the table and fluttered through all that books. With every book that Lyanna looked through she felt more hope leaving her. It seemed impossible that they would find a spell that could stop all of this. Eventually Gaius had fallen asleep, with his head on the book and was snoring loudly. Lyanna was drinking her eight cup of tea, but kept her attention on her own book.

Merlin was sitting beside her. He had just ran with his fingers through his hair and Lyanna was fighting the urge to run hers through as well, but kept quiet. He was leaning with his head on his hand as he fluttered through the book. Suddenly his eyes widened and he slammed onto the book, causing Gaius to wake and Lyanna to almost spilled her mug of tea.

"Here," Merlin said, pointing to the page in his book. "The spell of revelation. By which the true nature of the thing may be revealed." He rose and placed the book before Lyanna so that they could all read it.

"But this spell applies only to objects, things, not to living creatures," she remarked. "Should that matter?"

"I know. The principle is the same, isn't it?" Merlin asked. "We have to try. What other choice do we have."

Lyanna knew that he was right. They didn't have anything else. "Very well," Gaius said. "But you two need to choose your moment carefully. Trolls are vicious creatures." Before they could discuss a possible moment there came knock on the door. "Come in."

The door swung open and a guard stepped in. "Milady," he greeted with a small bow when he eyed Lyanna. "The King has request all of you in the council chamber." He didn't gave the enough time to ask something because he was already gone.

None of them had any clue what was going on. They shared a look with each other before they made their way towards the council chamber. Lyanna took her place beside Arthur and Morgana, while Merlin stayed with Gaius. Just at that moment Uther entered with Catrina on his arm, looking smug.

They stopped in the middle of the room and eyed the crowd that had gathered. "Thank you all for coming," Uther began. "You are, no doubt, wondering why I have gathered you here today. Though we live in dark times, today I bring you light, and loved. It gives me greatest pleasure to inform you that the Houses of Tregor and Pendragon are to be united in the closest bond of all. I am to marry Lady Catrina."

Everyone in the council room looked at each other in awe and most of them clapped because of this news. Arthur and Lyanna shared a confused look. This was not what they were expecting at all.

Catrina whispered something in Uther's ear. The King raised his hand for the applause to stop. "I am to marry the Lady Catrina tomorrow," he said. The crowed clapped again and Lyanna clenched her hands into fists. Surely she should've known that this had been the troll's plan all along. They crave power. She didn't listen to the rest of her father's speech.

"**Hierste þæt íecen sóna**."

Lyanna turned her head a bit and saw Merlin standing beside a pillar so he was out of view as he chanted the revelation spell. Her attention went to Catrina who stirred a little.

"**Hierste þæt íecen sóna**," Merlin tried the spell one more time. This time it seemed to have a little more effect on Catrina, but she remained still. They only saw a bit of movement in her face, but she was fighting it.

Lyanna slightly covered her mouth behind her hand. "**Hierste þæt íecen sóna**," she almost whispered so she wouldn't draw any attention. Perhaps it worked better when they tried it together, but once again nothing happened. Catrina was too strong, and was able to fight the revelation spell easily. Meanwhile Lyanna saw Jonas making his way through the crowd, as he was looking in their direction. _Did he know?_

"...I hope you will all share in our joy," Uther finished his speech. The crowd applauded as he thanked them. Catrina quickly pulled him along with her as they made their way out of the council room. Almost everyone left soon after that and only Lyanna and Arthur remained behind.

"Did you know that our father was so passionate about the Lady Catrina?" Arthur asked bewildered. He still seemed to have troubles with believing this was really happening.

She shook her head. "I had no idea. Surely the two of them were close, but I assumed that was because they knew each other," Lyanna lied a bit. Now that this had happened she was convinced that Catrina had used an enchantment to make the King fall in love with her. Uther d96+idn't seem like himself at all today, almost like a puppet.

"Then I guess you and I have to get used to getting a stepmother," Arthur said.

_Stepmother_. even the word made Lyanna cringe. Surely she would've have minded a stepmother if this woman was making her father truly happy, but she knew this wasn't a real. This troll was simply using him for her own good, but no one was seeing the truth.

"I believe so," Lyanna muttered.

Arthur placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Lee. I'm quite sure that it's going to be fine to have a mother, even though we have no experience with that. They really seem to have fallen for each other," he responded.

Lyanna smiled. "You're right. We just have to get used to her," she replied, trying to keep her straight face. "It's just going to take some time I guess. It seems odd to me that they've fallen in love so quickly. It almost sounds like magic. I'm just going to be cautious around her."

He scoffed. "Don't be silly. It's love."

It this was his idea of love he had gotten it whole wrong. "I doubt it." She knew it wasn't love, but she didn't know how to bring it to her brother. "I'm just glad we always have each other's back."

They hooked their arms and the two of them left the council chamber and made their way through the palace. They went up some stairs until they parted and both went to their own bedrooms. Lyanna undid her hair and began to brush it thoroughly. Gwen hadn't come in to check on her this morning, but she didn't mind. She supposed that she was busy with helping Morgana with something.

A while later there came a knock on the door. "Enter," Lyanna said and turned her head just as she door opened and Merlin strode in, looking rather annoyed with something. He closed the door behind him and walked over to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, noticing how tensed she looked.

"How anyone will feel when their father announces that he's going to marry a troll," she replied a bit indifferent and placed the silver brush back on her vanity.

"I-I may've told Arthur that his new stepmother is a troll," Merlin blurted out. Lyanna's eyed widened in shock at that and she opened her mouth to say something, but Merlin continued to speak. "He laughed at me. He thought I had said that because he was going to get a stepmother and I was supposed to 'hate' her or something like that. So, he doesn't believe me."

Lyanna paused for a moment. "You should be glad that he took it like that. Of course he's not going to believe you because you don't have any form of proof. He and my father are exactly the same on that matter. But I appreciate your effort, Merlin. You did a brave thing."

He smiled. "Right now I have some things to do for Arthur. I'll come back later so we can think of a way to expose Catrina tomorrow before it's too late," he suggested.

She nodded. "Sure. Don't let Arthur wait. We don't want to anger him." Lyanna grinned. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Lyanna." With those words he quietly left her bedroom. As she door fell shut Lyanna let out a sight. Her entire life surely was a big mess at the moment and she was having some difficulty with trying to see through it. She just hoped that this fog would clear and things would go better.

* * *

The rest of the day had gotten by quietly. Lyanna had spent most that time waiting for Merlin to show up, but he didn't came. She had even asked Arthur where he was, but he had no idea where his servant was.

It was eerie quiet the next morning when Gwen and Morgana were busy with helping her prepare for the wedding which was held later. Gwen was properly braiding the hair of the princess, while Morgana had applied some light makeup on her face.

"Are you nervous?" Morgana asked, sounding concerned.

Lyanna licked her lips. "No, I'm not nervous," she answered.

"Well, it's not weird to be nervous," Gwen assured her with a friendly smile. "I sure would've been very anxious if my father would remarry."

"As would I," Morgana added. "But Lady Catrina seems like a wonderful woman and they're very smitten."

Even though they did their best to cheer her up, their attempts didn't exactly work. In fact Lyanna felt more tensed just because of that, but she tried to hide it behind a smile. "There's no need for that. It's all going to be alright." She hoped. Since she hadn't seen Merlin since yesterday they hadn't gotten a solution to stop this troll from marrying the King. Her own magic wasn't strong enough to fight her. She couldn't help but feel as if something had happened to him, but she had no idea where he was which was driving her insane.

The conversation ended and Gwen and Morgana finished preparing the princess. Lyanna sat by herself for a little while when they had left, wondering where Merlin could be. Then a thought occurred to her and she touched the necklace that belonged to her mother, which Uther had given to her. She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Merlin," she whispered to herself. For a moment nothing happened but then she felt a sensation of warmth washing over her. So he was alive.

_Merlin, where are you?_ she thought. Even though she had told him that she refused to use this way of communication because she liked some privacy in her head, she didn't think that she had another choice. She waited for what felt like hours, but there didn't come any respond. Something was wrong and she wanted to know what.

She was brought back into reality when the door of her bedroom swung open and Arthur entered. "You look beautiful," he complimented her before placing a kiss on her forehead. Lyanna was wearing a dress made of red and gold material, just like the colours of Camelot. Her long, golden hair was braided and pinned together in a ladylike style.

"As do you," she replied as she put his cloak right. He was dressed in all red, with his crown on top of his head. She picked up her own crown and carefully put it on its place without trying to ruin her hair, or Gwen and Morgana would be furious.

"Are you ready to go? Everyone is waiting," Arthur said. Lyanna nodded and hooked her arm through that of her brother and together they left her bedroom. They walked through the corridors and down the stairs and with every step that Lyanna took she felt more anxious. They came close to the throne room and found their father already waiting for them, looking nervous.

"It's going to be alright, Father," she assured him. She whished that she could just tell him the truth, but it wouldn't change anything. He was obviously under some enchantment and couldn't be persuaded.

Uther nodded. "Yes, I am ready," he said, ignoring her words. He hooked himself through Lyanna's other arm. The King took a deep breath before the guards opened the door and the three royals made their entrance into the throne room which was filled with lots of people. Uther stopped in front of the throne while Arthur and Lyanna stepped to the side, next to Morgana.

Shortly after that Catrina entered the throne room, wearing a beautiful white gown. If the woman hadn't been a troll Lyanna wouldn't have minded that her father was going to marry her, but that was not the case. As Catrina walked towards the front the people bowed out of respect for their future Queen. Catrina stood opposite from Uther, smiling lovingly at the King.

Geoffrey cleared his throat and began the wedding ceremony. "My lords, ladies and gentlemen of Camelot, we are gathered here today to celebrate, by the ancient right of hand-fasting, the union of Uther Pendragon and Lady Catrina of Tregor."

Lyanna was fidgeting with her necklace as the seconds ticked by.

"Is it your wish, Uther, to become one with this woman?" Geoffrey asked the King.

Uther seemed to be glowing with love, causing Lyanna to anxiously bite her bottom lip. "It is," he said, smiling widely.

"Is it your wish, Catrina, to become one with this man?" Geoffrey now asked the woman.

"It is," Catrina said, smugly.

"Do any say nay?" Geoffrey questioned everyone. There fell a total silence in the throne room and Lyanna wiggled nervously. She was about to open her mouth to say something, but was silenced by Arthur who pulled her back against him so she couldn't do anything. But nothing was being said by anyone.

Geoffrey brought out a garland and tied it around their hands. "With this garland, I do tie a knot, and by doing so, bind your hands and your hearts for all eternity." Eternity... The word kept repeating itself inside Lyanna's head.

The couple spoke their vowels but Lyanna wasn't listening to what they said.

"I now pronounce you to be husband and wife," Geoffrey said.

Uther and Catrina kissed each other and the court applauded loudly at the new Queen of Camelot. Lyanna felt the blood disappear from her face. At that moment she heard the door of the throne room slam open and Merlin stormed in. Their gazes met and they both knew it. _It was too late._

* * *

**More drama is to come in the next chapter! I can promise that you guys are going to hate me. That's all that I can say about it haha. Anyway I'll try to update again somewhere in the weekend. I'm blown away by the amount of reviews that I've got! You guys are the best honestly :)**

**HPunu101: I honestly appreciate some critique so that I know what I'm doing wrong. I'm glad that you liked my version of your favorite episode and that I had done it right. I apologize for the minor spelling and grammatical errors, but English isn't my first language and mistakes slip passed me sometimes. I'll edit them. There will be more romantic moments between Merlin and Lyanna ;) Awh, that's sweet. I feel flattered by that. I'm not going to give up on that story :) I'm going to finish this story. Thank you for your review!**

**Guest: -JOINS THE SCREAMING- Your enthusiasm is contagious :D I'm glad that you liked it so much haha and especially those heart to heart moments :P I'm honestly flattered that I made your day! Thank you for your review!**

**Lbunny: I can see that chapter made you very excited haha :) Here is more then haha. Thank you!**

**EmilyGrace31: I'm so glad that you liked it so much and that you think that Lyanna and Merlin are such a cute couple. I was so anxious for Lyanna confession her feelings to Merlin because I thought that I had completely screwed up that part haha. But it was about time those two love birds got together haha :p YES I'M NOT AN EVIL PERSON! -dances- thank you for that, dear! There will be more Arwen and Myanna and we've got plenty of chapters left haha. Do I get the permission to play with your heart? ;) Thank you for reviewing AGAIN. You're the absolute sweetest. **

**jhahn1989: Thank you so much for saying that! :) I honestly tried to give both romances justice, which was very difficult. I just needed both Merlin and Arthur to come clean to each other, which indeed shows how good friends they are. Did you really swoon when Merlin said he would go trough Hell for her? I hope you're alright ;) I'm glad the kissing scene made up for it. Omg two parts beautiful and one part sexy haha. Perfect description haha. I hope that you found a way to keep your mind of the next chapter :D I'm super glad that you love my story so much! Thank you for all your reviews! They mean the world to me. **

**KattieWatsonHolmes: You reread it several times to make sure that it was real? Haha omg you're amazing! I'm glad that you enjoyed their snogging session so much and that I had done it right :D Yes I'm sure that fair maid Kattie is like that. Oh no don't kiss Will too much until you got rid of that horrible cold. Do you need me to make you some tea and watch horrible movies with you until you feel better? You're the sweetest :) I'm always here to help as well just so you know haha. How many times have you read this chapter by now though? :p Clearly there was enough fluff for you in there. But being Scottish is amazing! Surely it's better than being Dutch ;) but thank you as always, dear one. Much love.**

**ArmyWife22079: I've got this question before and I can tell that it's going to be different than what happens during the episode and that there is going to be so jealous Lyanna ;) That's all that I can say for now. We have to be patient!**

**Mia: ah this is the first time you reviewed so I have to say: Welcome to the story! ;) I'm pleased that you're so glad that they finally admitted their feelings for each other. It was about time that they did because they were indeed all adorable and awkward around each other. Thank you so much for saying such sweet things. Don't be nervous about the Lady in the Lake story ;-) I can promise everyone that Lyanna/Merlin shippers will be pleased in the end. But first more drama is to come I'm afraid. **

**Ravenclaw Heronstairs: I was smiling while reading this! There is more! Thank you for reviewing! :D**

**Alright, that's it for the reviews :) Up next is more drama *flees before you guys catch up with me***


	20. The Beauty and the Beast pt 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

**A/N- **I can't believe that we've reached chapter 20 already! Thanks everyone who reads this story. I wouldn't be able to do this without all of you!

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Beauty and the Beast pt. 2**

A day had gone by since King Uther had married his new wife Lady Catrina, making her Queen. Only no one seemed to be aware that this woman wasn't who she claimed to be, but was in truth a troll. Whatever enchantment this troll was using, she was extremely powerful and they hadn't figured out yet how to stop her.

It was early in the morning and Lyanna was pacing restlessly through her chamber and listened to the commotion outside. Several guards were running through town, looking for someone. She could even hear the shouts coming from inside the palace.

On cue the door of her bedroom slammed open and Merlin stormed in. He closed it behind him before he came forwards. "What's wrong?" Lyanna asked confused. He seemed to have been running because he was clearly out of breath.

"Catrina has told your father that I stole her seal," Merlin enlightened her. "By now all the guards in Camelot are after me. Arthur was the one to tell me about it and he told me to leave Camelot."

"What? No. You're not leaving Camelot," Lyanna protested, trying to remain calm. "This is her way of trying to get rid of you because you were supposed to be trapped underneath the palace, remember?" Merlin had told her where he had been all day. When he had mentioned that Catrina had trapped him she felt anger boiling inside her. "You can stay here in the antechamber. No one will look for you there."

"Are you serious? Because -"

"Merlin, please. It's for the best if you stay nearby so we can figure out a way to stop her," she explained. "I want to prove to everyone that you're innocent."

"We'll figure something out," he assured her and pulled her into a hug. "I won't leave you."

That was all that Lyanna required to hear to ease down. "Do you need me to get you something to eat?"

"No, I've already had a good breakfast. I think I'm going to find Gaius first," Merlin responded.

Lyanna let go of him. "You wish to sneak through the palace? In case you've forgotten, they are searching for you everywhere."

Merlin tugged a strand of her golden hair behind her ear and smiled down at her. "I know, but he deserves to know where I am. Perhaps I can also make a false trail to outsmart the guards," he suggested.

"You're much wiser than everyone thinks, Merlin." She placed a soft kiss onto his lips. "Will I see you later?"

He nodded. "You will, milady." Lyanna blushed and watched how he sneaked out of her room through the secret exit only servants knew about. As soon as she was alone she felt anger boiling inside of her once more. She hated Catrina for putting him through this and was eager to put this troll down herself if it was necessary.

It was hours later that Lyanna's presence was required in the throne room when she had been sitting with Morgana and Gwen to just talk like they always did. Wondering what her father could possibly want Lyanna headed down the stairs and into the throne room where she found Arthur standing in front of the King and Queen.

"There is something important that I..." Uther began but paused when Catrina grabbed his hand. "We wish you to address. For too long, the people have had it easy. They've grown fat off our indulgence of them."

Lyanna cocked an eyebrow at them. "How so?"

"We provide peace, protection, food. They give us very little in return."

"Most of our people are poor. They survive on the few crops they're able to grow," Arthur clarified, not understanding where this was going.

"That is what they would have us believe," Catrina corrected him.

"It is the truth. It is what we see every single day," Lyanna objected, trying to remain calm.

Catrina smiled smugly. "We're introducing a new tax. The people must pay for the sanctuary that Camelot provides."

"Surely you can't. The majority are barely able to get by as it is," Lyanna snapped, losing her temper. She couldn't believe they were talking about the sake of their people like that, as if they were worth nothing.

"Those who refuse to pay it will be arrested and publicly flogged," Uther cleared up.

Lyanna exchanged a hopeless look with Arthur. "We've lived this way for years. You've never suggested anything like this before," he said, confused.

"Maybe not to the two of you, but the King confided in me that he has been considering this for some time, haven't you?" Catrina asked.

Uther stared at his wife with a besotted look on his face. "Yes, I have." He now looked back at Arthur. "You are to begin the collections at once."

"You're so going to regret this," Lyanna warned them before she stormed out of the throne room after Arthur. Once they had turned around the corner in the corridor they stopped walking. "He can't do this."

"He is the King so he can," Arthur sulked sadly. "But that doesn't mean that I agree with him. I'll have to collect the money tomorrow."

* * *

Hours ticked by and it was late in the evening when Lyanna went to the physician quarters. She found Gaius sitting at the table, fluttering through some medical books. As he heard her approaching he looked up. "How are you holding on, dear?"

"I'm doing whatever I can," she answered honestly. "Is Merlin here? I haven't seen him since this morning and I'm worried."

"He was here about an hour ago, but then he left again. Would you care for some tea, dear?" Gaius asked politely.

"I'll set it myself," Lyanna offered and already walked to the small kitchen to prepare some tea for the two of them. Minutes later she returned and placed the mugs onto the table before she sat down. "Merlin said that he was going to create a false trail to outsmart the guards."

"He did and I helped him with it," he told her. "They believed that he has gone north and they've followed it. They'll discover that it was fake soon, but it will give us some time."

"Have you also heard about the tax being raised?" Lyanna questioned bemused.

Gaius nodded. "It's not someone Uther normally would do."

"No, but Uther under an enchantment would. He doesn't have any control over himself anymore. It saddens me greatly to watch him like that. He's nothing but a mere puppet."

Before Gaius could comfort the Princess the door swung open and Merlin strode in. He smiled warmly at Lyanna before he placed a vial on the table in front of them. "I saw her drink some of this potion and a patch of troll skin on her arm disappeared," he said to them. Lyanna picked up the vial and sniffed it carefully and felt herself getting sick. It smelled revolting. "Could you two make a potion that looks and tastes the same as this?" Merlin wondered.

Lyanna exchanged a doubtful look with Gaius. "I don't know. Maybe we can. It will not have the same effect without the troll magic."

"Exactly. If I can replace this potion with one that isn't magical."

"Ah, so Catrina will keep taking it, but it'll not longer work," Gaius figured out.

"And she'll turn into a troll. Think you can do it? We have to make the switch before morning or Jonas will notice," Merlin said.

Lyanna exhaled deeply. "This is going to be a long night."

Just as Lyanna had feared it had indeed been a long night. It was a few hours before the sun was shining through the window they had just finished making the replica of the potion. It had taken them many hours to find ingredients that would make it just as revolting as the original one. She had been running around the castle to collect all the ingredients herself.

Lyanna had fallen asleep with her head on the table out of pure exhaustion, but woke up to the sound of foots coming down the stairs. Her hazel eyes shot open and she saw Merlin coming down the stairs. Clearly he had slept in the hidden attic last night since no one would look there.

"What's in it?" Merlin wondered as he sat down at the bottom of the stairs.

Gaius was holding the two vials in his hands. "Nothing too potent. Lyanna has been so kind to collect everything for me, the poor thing. We've got rat's guts, toad paste, horse dung, crushed sheep's eyeball..."

"Oh, lovely," Merlin muttered sarcastically.

"Pond scum. Three wolf spiders. And what potion isn't complete without a dash of sheep's brain?" Gaius inquired. Lyanna was now standing beside them, smirking slightly.

"Where did you get a sheep's brain?" Merlin wondered, eying the princess.

Lyanna shuddered at the thought. "You don't want to know," she replied disgusted. She was glad that she didn't have to do to it again.

"But, Merlin," Gaius budded in. "You have to taste it."

"No way," Merlin objected in bewilderment. He was stunned that the physician was even asking him this.

Gaius held out the vial to him. "It's completely harmless," Lyanna assured him.

They watched Merlin consider it for a moment and he eventually gave in and dipped his finger into the vial, before bringing it back to his tongue. He gagged loudly and sputtered. "That is... ugh. That is disgusting," he cried out. Lyanna offered him a glass of water, which he drank down quickly to get rid of the taste. "I cannot believe you let me put that in my mouth."

Lyanna stifled a giggle at that when Gaius held out the next vial to him. "Try the original. Just a small amount. And be sure to spit it out."

Merlin eyed Lyanna for a second who gave him a reassuring smile before he did the same with the original potion. He gagged once more and spat it out as fast he could. Lyanna handed hi another glass of water which he also drank down within a short time. "Does it taste roughly the same?" she wondered.

"Yes! It's horrible!" Merlin objected.

"Are you sure?" Gaius asked doubtfully. "Because if there's too big a difference, Catrina will notice."

"It tastes exactly the same!"

"Well, let's hope she thinks so, too."

* * *

Once Lyanna had taken a long bath, changed into some clean clothes, had done her hair and had eaten some breakfast she was walking through the lower town with Gwen. They turned around the corner and saw some guards wrestling with a man. Lyanna recognized the man as Edward, the father of her servant who had died last year.

"You need to pay the King's tax," one of the guards said to Edward when he was lying on the ground.

"I will not pay for it because I don't have the money," Edward retorted. "It's too much."

Lyanna knew that everyone who refused to pay the taxed would be flogged, but these guards clearly had misunderstood that. She watched in horror how two guards pierced an innocent man with a spear. Before she could react Odyn ran to her dead husband and cradled him in her arms.

"Mam, I'm going to tell you the same thing. You need to pay the taxes," the same guard said.

Odyn was sobbing loudly. "We cannot."

Just like that they executed the woman easily if she had committed some horrible crime. Lyanna felt blood boiling inside of her as she rushed over at the scene as fast as she could at the same time as Lucy stormed out of her house. "Mom! Dad!" the seven year old girl cried out. Lyanna was right in time to lift her into her arms and tried to reassure her in the best way that she could.

She looked at the guards in anger. "Who gave you the order to do this? I was told that people who refused to pay needed to be flogged," Lyanna spat out.

One of them cleared his throat. "The order was given to us by the Queen, milady. She told us not to spare them."

Lucy cried harder in her arms while a small crowd had gathered to see what was going on. At that moment Arthur stood beside her and looked at the guards. "Give the people their money back, all of it," he ordered them. He looked at Lyanna again. "Come with me."

The two siblings turned around to leave and the people smiled and bowed to them. Lyanna refused to let go of Lucy, and the girl didn't plan to let go off the princess either. Gwen trailed after them in silence. They made their way to Lyanna's bedroom where she carefully placed Lucy onto her bed in the antechamber, who had fallen asleep in her arms.

"Gwen, can you stay with her?" Lyanna asked, her voice hoarse from holding back her tears. "It won't be long."

Gwen nodded. "Sure, not a problem."

"Thank you." She looked at her brother. "Are you coming with me?"

"Yes, I'm not going to let you face them alone," Arthur assured her, and Lyanna felt slightly better because of that. Arthur always had her back and she was immensely grateful for that. They quietly left her bedroom again and walked through the corridors and down the stairs until they reached the council chamber.

Lyanna slammed open the door and stormed in with Arthur right beside her. "You two have blood on your hands that will never wash of," Lyanna spat out venomously, eying the troll that was pretending to be Queen. "I'm aware that you've given the order to kill the people who couldn't pay the tax! Is that a good reason to murder good people?"

Catrina looked at Uther for a second. "Clearly it shouldn't matter because you two have returned all the money to the villagers," she retorted, visibly irritated.

"Only because two innocent people were murdered and a seven year old girl was left an orphan. It is expected that you make up for your mistake and help this child because it was your damn fault that her parents were butchered in front of her eyes!" Lyanna ranted in pure rage, feeling a fire burning inside of her. "Did you two ever think about the fact that the people of Camelot cannot afford this stupid tax. You're being completely insane."

"We have the people's loyalty, their goodwill. Do not forsake that by making unreasonable demands," Arthur added, surprisingly calm.

"Is it so unreasonable for a King to expect his subjects to obey him?" Catrina wondered.

Lyanna's hands clenched into fists. "The people will starve!"

"Nonsense," Uther disagreed. "They've grown too soft. Remember, these are your subjects, not your friends."

"And why can't they be both?" Arthur enquired.

"Because we rule the people, not the other way around."

"You're wrong. Without the people there is no Camelot. We're as much their servant as they are ours," Arthur responded. Lyanna looked at him with admiration.

"I will not tolerate this. You will take your men down into the town and go to every house collecting the payments I demand," Uther ordered him.

"I will not," Arthur said slowly.

Lyanna saw the anger growing inside her father. "And are you going to help this girl or not?" Lyanna wanted to know.

"It's not our fault that her parents refused to pay the tax. It's their lost," Catrina said placidly.

Arthur placed his hand on Lyanna's shoulder. "Their fault?" she repeated bewildered. "You gave the order for them to be killed! How is it there fault? No! There is only one person responsible for this crime and that is you! I spit on it! You're a disgrace of this kingdom and not worthy to have been crowned Queen! They people will turn to you and I would gladly help them build a pyre for you!"

"Lyanna! That's enough!" Uther roared loudly to scold his daughter, who didn't flinch. There was hurt in her eyes, but he didn't notice it.

Catrina pretended to be a bit hurt by her comments, but smirked. "I think that I'll be having the last laugh. Your father and I have arranged a betrothal for you with Prince Carlyle from Mercia. He is to arrive here for your wedding within a few weeks."

Lyanna felt her entire world standing still. "You cannot arrange something like this without Lyanna's opinion," Arthur spoke defensively of his sister. "This is her life you're talking about."

"Surely that brat shouldn't complain. She is going to be Queen one day. Just not here, but far away," Catrina said amusingly, empathizing the far.

"I'm not going to marry Prince Horsedung of Merica!" Lyanna heavily objected and crossed her arms. "I have a say in this."

"No, you'll do as your told," Uther warned her seriously. "You are going to marry Prince Carlyle or I'm going to throw you in the dungeons until you see sense."

Lyanna felt her eyes water. Of course she knew that she had to marry a wealthy man one day, but she had always believed that she would've been allowed to choose for herself. Clearly that wasn't the case. Catrina was to blame for that since she had corrupted her father.

Without saying another word Lyanna ran out of the council chamber, clearly heartbroken by this news and hurried back towards her bedroom. Tears were now streaming down her face as she quietly entered her room, trying not to wake Lucy. "Lyanna, what is going on?" Gwen asked concerned, seeing the Princess in such distress.

"According to Catrina and my father I am to be married to Prince Carlyle of Mercia within a few weeks," Lyanna blurted out.

Gwen pulled her friend in for a hug. "But what about Merlin?" The mention of the name of the young warlock was hurting Lyanna immensely. It felt as if she was running through fire and the burning wouldn't stop.

"W-we can't be," Lyanna stammered. Saying that out loud was horrible, and her throat hurt because of it. "Catrina has arranged everything and I don't have any say in this. She's only doing this to get rid of me. She can't stand me or Arthur being so close with our father. We need to get rid of this woman."

"But how do you plan to do that? She's the Queen of Camelot, and it's impossible to get rid of her. Besides she's your stepmother. Surely she's not that bad."

"You saw what she did, Gwen? She has murdered innocent people for her own benefit. I'm going to say something, but you must promise me that you will not laugh." Gwen nodded. "Catrina is not who she claims to be. She is a troll using a potion to stay in this form. She even enchanted my father so he would obey her."

Gwen's dark eyes widened as she released her. "A troll?" she asked puzzled. "But that's horrible. You have to tell the King. He might see sense and stop your betrothal."

"Perhaps. I've created a false potion with Gaius. Merlin is ensuring that Catrina takes it so that she'll change into a troll in front of everyone. It's our only hope to break the enchantment," Lyanna enlightened her.

"Let's hope it works."

"You're free to go, Gwen. I need some time for myself." Gwen nodded before quietly leaving the bedroom. Lyanna plopped down on her bed as she continued to let the tears roam down her cheek, without bothering to wipe them away.

She lay there for an unknown while until she heard the door of the secluded door open and close again, as feet made their way over to her. She felt someone sitting down beside her before this person pulled her close into its arms. When Lyanna was pressed against a chest and was able to smell the scent of lemon and forest she knew who it was. "Gaius told me everything," Merlin said softly after a moment of silence.

Lyanna felt the soothing and rhythmic beat of his heart against her face. "Even about my betrothal to Prince Horsedung of Mercia?" she whispered with a faint voice. Merlin muttered a yeah. "I don't know what to do. I can't marry someone I don't know just because he's a sodding Prince. I-I don't -"

"Sssst, it's alright," he assured her with his placid voice. "Your father will surely change his mind about this betrothal when the enchantment is broken."

"I hope so," she sighed hopefully. "Did you gave the potion to Catrina?"

"Yes, I even saw her taking it. It will work," Merlin said positively. "Everything is going to turn out fine. You'll see. How is Lucy doing?"

"Still sleeping. I don't have the heart to wake her up after everything she's been through. She watched her parents being murdered before her eyes. She has nothing left."

Merlin tightened his grip on her. "What are you going to do?"

"My father and Catrina refuse to help so it's up to me do something about it. I plan to write a letter to one of her family members to see if they want to take her in, while I finance everything for them," Lyanna suggested. "It's the only thing that I can do."

"But what if they will not take her in?"

"Then I have no other choice than to look after her myself," she said determined. "I have to do something. I cannot leave her to her fate."

"I know you do. You're doing the right thing," Merlin responded, gently running his fingers through her golden hair to comfort her. "You'll figure something out."

They both pulled apart when they heard someone walking in the antechamber and the door opened and Lucy stood before them. She rubbed tiresome into her eyes as she looked at them in curiosity. "How are you feeling, dear?" Lyanna asked concerned.

Lucy shook her head a bit doubtful. She didn't say anything, but Lyanna was sure that she did only because she feared she'll burst into tears the second she started to bring up some memories.

Lyanna leaped onto her feet and made her way over to one of her closets and began to look through it. Within a minute she found a box and brought it back to the bed and placed it there. "You can look," she said. Lucy carefully took the lid of the box, and Lyanna noticed that Merlin was also watching curiously to see what was inside.

The girl let out a muffled scream when she saw a pile of little dresses inside of it. Her big brown eyes immediately went to Lyanna, who was smirking.

"These dresses used to be mine when I was your age. You can have them. Right now you need to pick one out which you like the most so that I can help you put it on," Lyanna suggested and took a step back to stand beside Merlin. They both watched her searching through the pile for a few minutes and examining every dress.

"This one! This one!" Lucy exclaimed happily and held out one of the dresses.

"Come on then." Lyanna gestured Lucy with her towards the vanity where she helped the seven year old into the dress that she had chosen. It was soft blue dress, with V-shaped sleeves and golden stitches. She made her put on some golden slippers before she began to brush Lucy's voluminous brown curls. "What do you think?" Lyanna asked, eying Merlin.

He smiled warmly at Lucy. "You look like a true princess," he said to her, which only caused her grin widely.

"I love it," Lucy screamed cheerfully. "Thank you, Lyanna."

"You're quite welcome. Do you care to go for a walk with me?" Lyanna asked her and Lucy nodded enthusiastically. The Princess then turned to Merlin. "You can stay here in the meantime -"

He raised his hand which made her stop in the middle of her sentence. "There is no need for that. I'll go to the physician chambers. I'll see you later." Merlin placed a kiss on her cheek before he snuck out through the secluded door.

"You two love each other?" Lucy questioned, smiling.

"Yes, we do," Lyanna answered, sighing happily. "Come now. We should get going." She gently grabbed Lucy's hand and the two of them left the bedroom in silence. They walked down the corridors as several servants had to take a double look when they saw a peasant girl being dressed like a lady, with the princess of Camelot at her side. Surely that confused them, but it only seemed to amuse Lucy.

They made it to the palace kitchen where Lyanna arranged some food for Lucy to eat which she was eating when they were walking through the long corridors again, only until they saw Arthur approaching them. He was looking rather gloom. "Lee," he called out. "How are you? I haven't had to chance to talk to you after what happened."

She smiled faintly. "I'm alright, Archie. We were just on our way to walk through the royal garden," she clarified.

"You should postpone that for now. Our presence is being required in the council chamber," he responded and she raised her eyebrow.

Gwen just walked around the corner and caught sight of the royal siblings and Lucy. "Lucy, you look very beautiful," the maid said to the little girl. She then looked at Lyanna. "I came to look for you because the King has required your presence, but it seems that you already know that, Milady. Do you want to me watch over Lucy while you're gone?"

"Yes, thank you," Lyanna said gratefully. Lucy immediately walked over to Gwen and wrapped her tiny arms around the maid's legs, who placed her hand on the top of her head as Lyanna and Arthur walked to the council chamber.

A small crowd had gathered in the council chamber and the King and Queen were standing around the thrones as they entered. The twins approached them curiously about what was going on. "Father?" Lyanna began.

Uther looked at his son. "I'm relaxing your duties, revoking your title. We live in dangerous times. I cannot allow you to undermine my authority."

Lyanna's blood ran cold because of that and she was throwing daggers at Catrina by glaring angrily at the woman and troll. She should've known that this had been her plan all along. If Uther would die the throne would go directly to her and she could do whatever she pleased.

Arthur looked just as perplexed as his sister. "You've always welcomed our council in the past," he said astonished. Lyanna placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him a bit, just like he had done earlier today.

"You two stood up against me for all the people to see," Uher continued.

"I'm sorry. Any future grievance we have will be held in private."

Uther shook his head. "No, it's too late for that."

"Father, this is absolute nonsense," Lyanna spat out, earning an angry glare fro Catrina.

"You are to be disinherit, with immediate effect. You are no longer Crown Prince of Camelot," Uther said to his son.

Everyone anxiously held their breathe at this news, not sure how to react to it.

"Sire, Arthur is your son, your natural heir..." Gaius began.

"Gaius..." Arthur interrupted the physician before looking at his fater. "You've always taught me to be true to my heart, and that's all I've ever tried to do. To be the man you wanted me to be. Someone you were proud to call your son.

Lyanna was moved by his speech and was blinking tears away from her eyes.

"My decision is final," Uther determined.

Arthur turned to leave and Lyanna watched him until he was out of sight before she turned to the King and Queen. "You two disgust me. How can you turn against your own children like that," she said through gritted teeth.

"Queen Catrina will be named as rightful heir to the throne. The ceremony will begin forthwith," her father said, ignoring her complains. Lyanna growled under her breath before she stormed out of the council chamber in the hope to find her brother somewhere. The last thing she heard was the slow claps of the crowd before the door slammed shut behind her.

It didn't took her long to find Arthur who was seated on a log in their secret garden, throwing pebbles into the small pond. Lyanna sat down beside him and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I just can't believe that father would agree to such a thing," Arthur said, sulking.

"Father wouldn't in his right mind. Arthur, I know that Merlin told you that he believes that Catrina is a troll and I agree with him." She heard him laughing beside her. "You may laugh what you like, but its the truth. You'll see that we're right sooner or later and things will change. I'm sure of that."

"Like your betrothal to Prince Carlyle?" Arthur enquired.

"For example, yes. And you'll also get your title back because you're going to be the greatest King that this kingdom ever had. I'm positive of that and I will gladly help you to accomplish that."

"You're the sweetest sister in the world, do you know that?"

"No, but please keep repeating it," she joked and Arthur chuckled. "You're also the best brother in care you were wondering."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder to pull her closer to him. "That was exactly what I needed to hear. Do you honestly believe I'll make a great King one day?"

"The greatest," Lyanna said convinced. "And I'm not alone in that. Many people wish to see you upon the throne because they believe you'll bring many changes to this kingdom for the benefit of all."

"I'm just scared that I'll disappoint them," he muttered softly.

"Don't be. The people will follow you wherever you go. You have their loyalty and you've proven yourself already. You're going to be amazing and they will all love you. Your legacy will be spoken of for many long years."

* * *

Lyanna was standing beside Arthur and Morgana inside the hall of ceremony with a pit of anxiety inside her stomach as she watched how Catrina was standing in the front beside Geoffrey, who was once again leading the ceremony.

"We are gathered here today to bear witness to the naming of Queen Catrina as the rightful heir to Camelot. Are you willing to take the oath?" the old man asked.

"I am," Catrina said.

"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Camelot to uphold the laws and customs of the land?" he continued.

Lyanna noticed that Catrina was scratching an itch on her arm annoyed, and Lyanna's eyes widened in shock. Because she hadn't taken the right potion for a while now she was going to change back right in front of everyone if everything was going well.

"I will," Catrina responded. She checked her arm and Lyanna was able to notice the troll skin, and did her best to keep a straight face. Her gaze lingered to Merlin who was hiding behind a pillar on the balcony, and they smiled at each other. His plan was working and she couldn't be prouder.

"Will you, to the utmost of your powers maintain the laws..."

"Yes. Yes," Catrina cut him off.

Geoffrey looked a bit stunned. "I'm sorry, you-you must let me finish. The wording must be exactly right to be binding," he clarified to her.

"Well, get on with it then. I mean, really, where did you dig up this old crone from?"

"She's right. Get on with it," Uther said, clearly love-struck. Everyone in the room was looking at each other in confusion, not believing the sudden rudeness of the Queen of Camelot.

"Will you to the utmost of your powers..." Geoffrey continued placidly, not losing his temper. Lyanna felt sorry for the old man who was just doing his absolute best.

"Yes, yes," Catrina muttered while she kept scratching the troll skin on her arm.

Geoffrey didn't flinch. "...maintain the laws and customs..."

"I will. I will."

"...of the land, and serve the people of Camelot?" Geoffrey finished rapidly to please the Queen.

"Yes!" Catrina spat out. "Just shut up and give me the crown!" Everyone gasped in awe at that reaction. Geoffrey remained calm and brought the cushion where the crown was lying on and presented it to her. "Will you just hurry up!" She quickly grabbed the grab and jammed it onto her head while she ran out of the hall, leaving everyone behind in utter confusion.

The royal family were the only ones that were running after the Queen of Camelot and into the corridors. Unsure where she had gone to they just went around the corner of a corridor until one the guards pointed them in the right direction and they found her close by the council chamber. Catrina was trying to flee, but Lyanna quickly used her magic to close the door so she couldn't escape.

"Whatever's the matter?" Uther asked concerned about his wife's wellbeing.

Catrina turned to them and hided her troll arm behind her back. "I'm sorry," she apologized nervously. "I don't know what came over me. I, I just suddenly felt so hot. I , do you know. I think I need to be on my own, alright?"

Lyanna did her absolute best to keep a straight face.

"Are you alright?" Morgana asked the Queen.

"Yes, yes, I'm, I'm fine," Catrina told her. "Really, thank you. I just..."

"**Fýrbendum fæst**," Lyanna heard someone chant quietly and there was only one person that she knew that could do that. Merlin. The door was being locked. She carefully tilted her head and saw him standing behind the pillar, watching everything. Their gazes met and Lyanna felt hope swelling inside of her.

Catrina was doing he best to open the door, but it wasn't working. Arthur was kind enough to help her out, but saw her troll arm and backed away. "What's that?" he asked, horrified.

She turned around again and Lyanna was smirking delightfully as she watched Catrina fighting herself as she was changing into her true form. They had outsmarted her. Everyone gasped in horror as Catrina began to fart and her body was still changing. Once that was finished they were all looking at a horrible troll, wearing the white dress that the Queen of Camelot had been wearing.

"You're a troll!" Arthur exclaimed confused. He exchanged a look with Lyanna who was smiling at him and he rolled with his eyes. He knew that he wasn't going to hear the end of this.

Uther finally stopped staring. "How dare you speak about her like that!"

Lyanna cocked one of her eyebrows. "What is wrong with you? Look at the state of her!" she blurted out.

"I don't believe it," Morgana muttered in astonishment.

The troll ripped open the door and exit with a snarl. "She just ripped a door of its hinges. Doesn't that tell you something?" Arthur tried to reason.

"Enough!" Uther scolded them.

"She's a troll!" Arthur almost shouted. "A giant...grey..."

"Stinking," Morgana added.

"Smelling," Lyanna budded in and crossed her arms.

"Stinking and smelling troll," Arthur finished dryly.

Uther picked up Catrina's crown and her slippers. "Stop it! Haven't you hurt her feelings enough? Insult my wife again. It'll be the last thing you ever do," he warned them before he followed the troll down the other corridor.

Morgana, Arthur and Lyanna stare slack-jawed, unsure what to do next. At least now they knew that the enchantment had been stronger than they had anticipated, and that they had to find another way to break it.

"How did you know that she was a troll?" Arthur wondered after a moment of silence.

"Because we saw her change before the wedding, but it was impossible to convince you all without any prove. We have to get rid of her. Excuse me," Lyanna excused herself and hurried away. She retreated herself into her chamber where she found Gwen and Lucy sitting on the bed and they both looked up when they saw her approaching.

"What happened?" Gwen asked when she saw the state that the princess was in. Lyanna told them everything that had happened during the ceremony and after that. "So everyone in Camelot knows that the woman is a troll except for your father?"

"He won't see reason. He's enchanted. It's the only explanation. We'll figure something out. Anyway did Lucy behave while I was gone?"

Gwen nodded. "Yes, she was very good," she assured her.

Lyanna lifted Lucy up in her arms. "Are you hungry?" Lucy shook her head. "Is there anything else that you wish to do?"

"Can you tell me a story?" Her brown eyes twinkled.

"Of course, I can."

* * *

Lyanna entered the physician chambers that night and found Gaius mixing some vials together. "I'm sorry that I haven't been of an assistance the last days," she apologized as she approached him.

"Nonsense, dear. You've done a great deal with Catrina's potion and besides you're always here when I need you. Your skill for healing is remarkable and you're a wonderful physician. You don't need my help anymore."

She sat down beside him. "I doubt that I don't need your help anymore. There is still so much more to learn and I'm happy that you're teaching me. I've never knew that I could become so passionate about healing. You've really changed my mind about that."

"That's not because of me. You often came here to help me out with making potions or medicines. Your devotion for it has only grown during the last year, for which I'm super grateful. You'll become the court physician of Camelot one day."

Lyanna sighed tiresome. "I doubt it, Gaius. I'm afraid that I'll be the Queen of Mercia one day," she sulked sadly. Even thinking about her was painful. She wished that it was different.

"You don't know that for certain, dear. You're father will surely change his mind once the enchantment is broken and you'll be allowed to stay here," Gaius tried to assure her in the best way that he could.

"I wish that was true. But even if I don't have to marry Prince Carlyle, I surely have to marry another fine Lord and leave Camelot because I can't stay here. It is expected of me as the Princess to marry someone wealthy and to move away," she replied. Clearly she had already given this some thought. She didn't want to leave Camelot because this place was her home.

Gaius placed his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe things will be different one day and you don't have to leave." Before she could say anything else the door swung open and Merlin entered the physician quarters.

"The dragon said Uther has to cry tears of true remorse to break the enchantment," Merlin said to them, clearly out of breath from running through the palace.

"Well, that's not going to be easy. Uther's heart closed to everyone," Gauis objected dryly.

"Well, not everyone," Merlin responded and his gaze lingered to Lyanna. "His children."

She anxiously bit her bottom lip as she thought of something. "Then there is only on course of action we can take. My father must see one of his children die," she suggested.

"But how do you plan to do that?" Merlin wondered.

Lyanna jumped up and walked over to the other table and searched through the vials that were standing there. "Simple. We use a poison to do that. Uther will see one of us dying and will cry, and at that moment we'll use an antidote to undo it. By then the enchantment will be broken and Uther will see sense again. It's the only way to get rid of this troll."

Merlin and Gaius exchanged a look with each other in admiration. "You don't get enough credit for how smart you are, Lyanna," Gaius complimented her.

She giggled and kept searching, but couldn't find anything. "We could use rhubarb. The leaves bring a person into a coma and can kill it within thirty minutes, which should give us enough time to administer the antidote. We only need to make them both." Lyanna began to flutter through a book and collected the necessary ingredients.

"Clever plan. I'll help make the antidote ," Gaius offered. "Together we should have an antidote and the poison within twenty minutes."

Merlin smiled warmly at her. "I'll go tell Arthur about this plan." With those words he left the physician quarters.

Lyanna began to grind the leaves of the rhubarb which are extremely poisonous while Gaius was busy with boiling a potion and used some small berries to do so. The princess was glad for her years of training as a healer because she wouldn't have been able to do this without Gaius his help.

When both of them were finished they quickly left the physician quarters and strolled through the corridors and up the stairs until they reached Arthur's chambers. Without knocking Lyanna opened the door and stormed in, followed by Gaius.

"So your great plan is to kill me?" Arthur muttered unimpressed. By now Merlin had informed him about everything which was a relieve.

"No," Merlin spluttered. "Well, yes. It's... Gaius and Lyanna made a potion that gives the appearance of death, without the actual dying bit. It's fine. There's nothing to worry about. It'll only bring you to the brink of death." As he was talking Merlin was cleaning up the room since no one had done it for days and it was rather messy.

"Wait," Lyanna began, looking at her brother. "What makes you think that you're going to be to the one to take this potion? I could take it."

Arthur shook his head. "No, you're not. You've already done enough. Let me do this." Lyanna could tell that he was being serious, and didn't dare to argue further with him because he had already made up his mind.

"We have to make your father cry," Gaius said.

"He doesn't care about us anymore," Arthur retorted.

"Nonsense," the physician objected. "That's Catrina's influence. I've known your father for many, many years. There's never been anyone or anything he's treasured more than his children. It's perfectly safe. A single drop of the antidote will reverse the effects immediately."

Arthur glared at his manservant. "Antidote. What antidote? You didn't say anything about an antidote!"

"Er... I didn't think it was important," Merlin muttered, throwing some armour behind a basket in the corner of the room.

Lyanna smiled faintly. "The potion will lower your heart rate and breathing. For all intents and purposes, you will be dead," she said to her brother.

"And the antidote reverses that effect?"

"Yes. If it's administered in time," Gaius told him.

"If it isn't?" Arthur inquired.

"Then you'll be dead," Lyanna said slowly.

Arthur glared at his manservant again. "You just said it wasn't important!"

Lyanna snickered quietly at that as Arthur dramatically rolled with his eyes in horror. "Erm... yeah, I suppose it is a bit important," Merlin muttered dryly.

"Merlin will have the antidote. Once Lyanna has administered the poison... er, the potion, he'll have half an hour to get it to you," Gaius enlightened him.

"Don't be late," Arthur warned his servant.

Merlin looked a bit shocked as he stepped beside them. "Am I ever?"

"Arthur, are you sure that you want to go through with this?" Lyanna asked hesitantly, holding the vial in her hands.

Arthur nodded. "It's the only way to save Camelot." He placed a kiss on her forehead before taking the vial from her and bringing it to his lips. He drank the entire vial in one jug. They all anxiously held their breath to see what would happen. Arthur then shrugged before he passed out and fell forwards, but they were able to catch him.

They carefully brought the prince to the ground and Lyanna closed Arthur's eyes. "Time to break the bad news to Uther," Gaius said before he left with Merlin at his side. Lyanna thought that it was for the best that she would be in tears before her father would show up so she actually let all her emotions from the previous day come out and she sobbed quietly to make it look believable.

Uther stormed into Arthur's bedroom. The King kneeled down beside his dead son and cradled him in his arms as Lyanna sat beside him. "My boy," he cried out. "It was my fault! I pushed you away. Both of you! My son. My son."

The troll also entered and looked at the Pendragon's in shock and she made her way over to them. "Come away. There's nothing you can do for him now," she said, nudging on Uther's arm to pull him with her.

The King shook his head. "I killed him! I killed my only son!" Lyanna only watched the two of them in silence, anxious about what was going to happen.

"No, no, no, no," the troll cried out. "Nu meaht þú begalan. Nu meaht þú..." She pulled on his arm and at that moment tears were streaming down Uther's face.

"Catrina? What kind of trickery is this?" he demanded to know, standing up.

"Father, you were under an enchantment," Lyanna informed him. "It's broken now."

The troll snarled. "How I've suffered these last weeks. Allowing you to touch me! Having to share a bed with you!" Lyanna felt like gagging because of that. "It's repulsive!" She grinned. "Ooh, I've been looking forward to this."

Uther back down. "Guards! Seize...it!" he ordered.

Guards immediately stormed into the room to fight of the troll, who was surprisingly strong. Lyanna kept at her brother's side as Merlin suddenly knelt down beside her. He brought down his sopped neckerchief to Arthur and squeezed it. "Where is the vial?" Lyanna asked him.

"I dropped it when I ran into Jonas. This was all that I could save from it," he admitted. Lyanna exhaled deeply and watched how one drop fell into Arthur's mouth, which was enough to revive him. His eyes shot open and looked at hers.

"Arthur, how are you feeling?" Lyanna asked him concerned as she helped him sit up straight. Arthur looked around the room and saw the troll was easily tossing all the guards at the side. He sat up and ran towards her to attack her.

"Is this any way to treat you dear old stepmother?" the troll asked him, snarling. She threw him against the wall, and then turned her attention to the King. But she also got rid of him easily by knocking him to the side.

Jonas went after Arthur and Lyanna called her brother's name and threw his sword to him. The prince easily ran the servant through. This time the troll saw Arthur again and had another go at him.

"Fléoge hrægl," Lyanna chanted quietly and the troll slipped on the carpet. She picked up another sword that was lying on a nearby table and quickly ran her through. Her body began to gave in and once again she let out a few horrible smelling farts which could be smelled through the entire room before she died.

Everyone looked at each other to let everything sink in. The troll had died and the enchantment had been broken. Lyanna noticed that Merlin was nowhere to be found. He had probably fled the room before the guards would find him since he had been a wanted man.

"I'm so sorry for everything," Uther apologized sincerely after a long moment of silence.

Lyanna's hazel eyes flicked to her father. "You didn't know what you were doing since you were enchanted," she replied dryly. "You've made some terrible decisions with her at your side."

Arthur nodded and stepped beside his sister. "Indeed you have, Father. You raised the tax, executed some innocent villagers, took my title and even arranged a betrothal for Lyanna to Prince Carlyle of Mercia."

Uther's face showed real pain and Lyanna pitied him for a moment. "I'll do everything within my powers to make up for those mistakes that I've made," he told them. "But even though my wife was a troll she had done one good thing."

This awakened Lyanna's curiosity and she tilted her head. "What do you mean, Father?" she enquired.

"I'm not going to break off your betrothal to Prince Carlyle of Mercia. He's a fine match and we need this alliance between the two kingdoms since things haven't gone smoothly between us in the pasts. Besides you're going to become Queen one day," the King said to her.

Lyanna's heart dropped at that "You can't be serious? I don't even know the man and I do not plan to marry someone for the sake of the kingdom. I'm not some pawn that others can move for their own benefit. Does it matter you at all what I care?" she ranted, fuming with anger. She had hoped that his opinion about her betrothal would change once the enchantment had been broken, but that wasn't the case.

"You don't speak to me on such manner. I am still your father and your King and you need to behave like that," Uther scolded her. "You are going to marry this Prince within a couple of weeks and you're going to be wife and that's final."

Lyanna could only stare at him in pure awe, while her heart was aching painfully. "I always believed that you were a better King than that," she said softly before she picked up the skirt of her dress and ran out of Arthur's bedchamber, hearing her brother calling her name. She ran through the palace corridors with great haste, nearly knocking a couple of servants to the side as she went. There was no way that she could decline all this. She had to marry for the sake of Camelot. She didn't have another choice.

When she stormed into the physician chambers the old man looked at her in shock. "Lyanna, dear," he called out. "What -"

"Where is Merlin?" Lyanna cut him of.

"He's in his room," Gaius said.

Lyanna walked up the steps and opened the door of the small bedroom and closed it behind her, only to find Merlin sitting on his bed. "Lyanna, why are you crying?" he asked concerned as he stood up and approached her, and cupped her cheeks. "Please tell me. What happened?"

"My father won't break off my betrothal," she blurted out. "I am to marry within a few weeks."

"It's alright. We'll find another way to -"

Her father's words were echoing inside her head. "No, we will not find another way. I don't have another choice than to marry him for the sake of this kingdom. It is expected of me as a princess after all and its the only thing that I can do for my people."

Merlin's face fell. "But what about us?"

Lyanna blinked the tears from her eyes, trying to be strong. Crying in front of him wasn't going to solve this. Het father was right. "We were only a good and beautiful dream for as long as it lasted, Merlin," she told him. "We could never be. We both knew this day would come eventually. You'll find a lovely wife one day and be happy with her, while I'll become the Queen of Mercia. It's how it has to be. We can't escape that. I'm sorry."

With those words she ran away leaving a heartbroken Merlin behind in his bedroom while the tears that she was holding so long were escaping from her eyes. She heard Gaius calling after her, but she kept on running. There was no going back now.

* * *

***Hides behind the table* I'm so sorry guys. Honestly I didn't want to this but this was the perfect opportunity to create a bit of drama and I had to take it. I wanted Myanna to be absolutely happy all the time. I can't say much, only that things will get solved ;) Don't hate me guys. I can be a very nice person haha**

**Dream lighting: I'm glad that you like them so much :) Thank you for your review!**

**HPuni101: Thank you so much. I hope this was soon enough and that you'll like this chapter as well :)**

**Guest: I'm sorry that I had to do this to their relationship. Ah yeah, I'm pleased that I did a good job on one of your favorite episodes. Thank for your kind review! **

**Lbunny: AAAAAAH YEAH ;D**

**ArmyWife22079: Yeah I wondered the same thing ;) I hope you like this chapter.**

**EmilyGrace31: Yes, Merlin's cheesy flirting was so adorable. I was grinning like a child while writing it because I could totally picture him doing that haha. And yes Lyanna can be the biggest tease. Together they're the perfect pair haha. Sorry I had to do this to them. You're probably take back your words about me not being an evil person now because I broke them and played with your heart again, even though I had permission. Thank you for always reviewing! It means the world to me :) **

**BugsBunny: Welcome to the story then! I'm honestly flattered by your kinds words and sweet review. I'm pleased that you like Lyanna and that the romance in this story is perfect as well. I'm going to do the whole show. Yes, please stay here to read it :) Thank you for reviewing. **

**KattieWatsonHolmes: Oh god you've read it 7 times? haha ah well as long as you're enjoying it why the hell not right? No, please don't carry the plague. I'll teleport myself to London and look after you until you feel better again. Standing out in the rain isn't very good for your health though :( You shouldn't do it again. You've read this 9 times? Hahaha yes they were snogging :P I'm glad the fluff was good enough for you haha and that I've made you a bit doololly. I love that word. Oh so you and Will honestly did the same thing? :p I can understand that it's very easy to get distracted like that haha. Sorry for the certain lack of fluff in this chapter and what I did. You can hate me. I'm okay with it. Good that you've tackled your brother with hugs :) Keep doing that haha. and thank you for that and reviewing! You're the sweetest!**

**Per585: Welcome to the story :D Thank you for those sweet words and reviewing! I was thinking about that and I love your idea. There might be a moment like that in one of the later episodes but that's many chapters from now ;) And thank you again!**

**Jhahn1989: Ah wow, I'm happy that those special moments between Merlin and Lyanna were making you feel so giddy and cheerful. There's nothing wrong with being a romantic at heart and clapping and giggle like a teenage girl. I do the same thing haha. Sorry I had to burst your bubble a bit with this chapter. Yes, the troll chapter is also one of my favorites and seeing Uther in love like that is the funniest thing haha. Yes, it's nice that Lyanna and Arthur have each other to rely on because they're both going to the same thing. Well, I think you had to be a bit worried and that you're not angry at me for ruining this :( Things are going to work out I promise. Thank you for reviewing again! **

**Alright I can't say much about Lyanna's betrothal to Prince Caryle. All that I can say is; don't hate me too much I promise nothing bad will happen and you're all going to be happy in the end. I hope...**


	21. The Witch Finder

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

**A/N- **As you will all figure out the wedding won't be for another few chapters ;)

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter 21: The Witch Finder**

Lyanna exhaled deeply as she plopped down on the chair in Morgana's bedroom. The King's ward and her maidservant was discussing something irrelevant and the princess was listening half-heartedly. It had been two days since Queen Catrina had been exposed and gotten take care of. Most things in Camelot had returned to their original state. An aunt of Lucy had taken the little girl in to look after her, while Lyanna kept supporting her financially just to make sure that they had enough money to come by. It was a relief that Lucy was still nearby and that she could see her occasionally.

One of the thing that hadn't change was the fact that Lyanna was to marry within a few weeks and the wedding was already being arranged by Uther and some royal advisors to make sure everything would go smoothly. Her last weeks in Camelot were ticking by and it was terrifying her.

There came a knock on the door. "Milady's," a guard began. "Your presence is being required by the King right away."

Morgana exchanged a look with Lyanna before both of them left the bedroom and followed the guard through the corridors until they reached the throne room. They sat down at the chairs beside the throne while a small crowed was being gathered. A woman was being escorted in, looking rather frightened.

"My Lord," she began. "I was out collecting firewood's with the others when I suddenly saw the smoke changing shape in that of a running horse before it faded back to smoke."

Lyanna raised one of her eyebrows. So someone had been using magic up at the hills. That was hardly a crime that needed to be reported in her eyes. "It was sorcery you saw, and you're certain of it?" Lyanna asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes, Milady."

"And you swear this before your King?" Uther questioned her.

"I swear it."

Arthur wasn't so convinced. "Perhaps your eyes deceived you, a trick of the light," he thought of.

But the woman shook her head. "The smoke was alive, I tell you. I feared for my life." Lyanna dramatically rolled with her eyes. A sorcerer playing with smoke like that was hardly an act of evil, but she didn't dare to speak her mind because she knew that her father would yell at her.

"I thank you for bringing this to my attention. Your loyalty will not go unrewarded," Uther said to her.

"Thank you, Sire," she said before a knight escorted her out of the throne room.

"It cannot continue,' Uther supplied, sulking.

"I will hunt down those responsible, Father. I promise they will not escape unpunished," Arthur suggested bravely.

"No," the King responded. "Stronger methods are called for. Send for the Witchfinder."

Everyone in the room gasped at that. Most of them knew the reputation of this man and feared for what he could do to the people of Camelot. Lyanna's gaze lingered to Morgana who was looking horrified. Because she had magic she feared that this man could expose hers, which was exactly the same fear that Lyanna had.

"Sire, is it necessary to resort to such measures?" Gaius enquired.

"The Witchfinder is a trusted ally, Gaius. His help will be invaluable."

Lyanna anxiously held her breath. This was exactly something which she couldn't use right now. If this man managed to expose the people that she cared about everything would be ruined.

* * *

"Lee, are you even paying attention to what I'm saying?" the voice of the King broke her out of her concentrations. Her hazel eyes shot to him and she smiled faintly. "Is all well, my dear?"

She nodded. "Quite well, Father. Just worrying a bit about wedding arrangements, but I should be fine," she lied harshly, but Arthur seemed to notice she wasn't telling the truth. He knew that now wasn't the right time to confront her so he had to wait until they were alone.

The three of them had just eaten some dinner and were now waiting in the council chamber for the arrival of the Witchfinder. "Do you honestly believe this is going to work, Father?" Arthur asked doubtfully.

"I am. I've seen this man using his skill before. If there are sorcerers hiding in Camelot he will find them. Mark my words," Uther assured his son. Lyanna bit her bottom lip, wondering if there was a way that she could allure this man.

"Where has this man been all this time?" Arthur wondered.

"In foreign lands. Wherever the pursuit of sorcery takes him."

"Do you smell it?" an unfamiliar voice asked. They all turned their heads and saw an elder man stepping from behind a pillar. "Do you smell it, Uther?"

"Aredian," Uther greeted him.

"It's all around us, the foul stench of sorcery. It's infected your great city like a contagion."

Lyanna's heart fell as she watched him with widened eyes. "I welcome you to Camelot, Aredian. Thank you for making such haste to be here," the King said.

"Well, let's hope I'm not too late, hmm? For every hour counts in the war against sorcery. Unchecked it spreads like a disease. It seeks out the young and the old, the weak and the able, the fair and the foul of heart alike," Aredian responded as he looked at Lyanna before his gaze went to the King. "You've grown lazy, Uther. You've grown idle. Your once noble Camelot is rotten to the core. You stand on the brink on the brink of dark oblivion."

Lyanna had enough of this conversation and fled from the council chamber. This man was frightening every fibber of her being and she couldn't stand to be around him. She retreated to her own chamber where she found Gwen folding some clothes. "Is all well?"

She shook her head. "I just fear about what Aredian may discover. He could expose us to my father which could mean the end of our lives."

"You don't know that. This man may be wrong," Gwen tried to assure her. "There is no need to worry about something that might not happen."

* * *

Lyanna almost jumped out of her skin when the door of the physician chambers slammed shut and Gaius entered. She had been sitting there for several hours now, just making some potions for the people in the lower town as he approached her, clearly distressed about something. "Gaius, what happened?" she asked quietly.

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "Aredian is talking with Merlin in his chamber now about the incident," he told her. "It may be nothing serious. Merlin was one of the witnesses. That bloody boy. If he hadn't been playing with his magic out in the open like that, just like I always told him this wouldn't have happened."

"You can't blame him for that. Even the best sorcerer may slip his secret," Lyanna retorted positively. "We can only hope that Aredian doesn't see through him and that he'll be alright. We mustn't lose hope."

"You love Merlin, don't you?" Gaius suddenly asked. Lyanna blushed and cocked one of her eyebrows at him. "I may be old, but I can see how you two react around each other."

She cleared her throat. "I do love him," Lyanna admitted after a moment of silence. "And he loves me back, but it isn't enough. I'm to marry someone else and it's for the best that we won't see each other anymore after that. I wish him all the luck in the world, but I don't belong here." Her thoughts wandered to the words of Nimeuh who had said that Darya and Emrys were destined to be together. The High Priestess had been wrong because it had only been a dream.

Gaius sat down beside her. "I wish that there was something that I could say that would make you feel better," he sulked sadly.

Lyanna blinked the tears out of her eyes and scoffed. "There is nothing to say, Gaius. I have to marry for this kingdom and that's all that matters. Could you give me some chamomile?" she quickly changed the subject.

He nodded before handing the herb to her so that she could continue making some potions. He left her to her work and fluttered through his books instead at the other side of the room, and none of them said another word. There was a heavy tension that none of them wanted to lift.

Long hours went by in silence until a guard entered the physician quarters and interrupted their thoughts. "Milady. Gaius. The presence of both of you is required," he told them.

Lyanna felt a ball of anxiety grow inside of her stomach as she hurried out of the room and through the corridors. She heard several servants curse as she stormed past them and into the throne room. She tried to calm herself as she took her usual seat beside Morgana and waited for what was going to happen.

Three woman were being presented by Aredian before court. "Speak, do not be afraid," he said to them.

The women hesitated. "I... I was drawing water from the well, when I saw them: faces in the water. Terrible faces, like people who were drowned, screaming. Screaming," one of them admitted.

Aredian looked smugly and walked to the next woman. "A goblin was dancing on the coals," she said. "It was dancing in the flames, and it spoke, Sire. My heart near stopped for fear of it."

"As you've heard, My Lord, the incident in the woods was only the beginning, hmm?" Aredian said. Lyanna knew for certain that Merlin wasn't involved in this, like he was with conjuring the smoke. He was innocent this time.

The last woman began to speak. "There was a sorcerer, Sire, in the square. There were creatures jumping right out of his mouth."

"And what's the manner of this creature?" Lyanna asked out loud, and felt everyone looking at her.

"Toads, Milady. Great green, slimly things as big as your fist."

"The sorcerer laughs in your face. Even now magic flourishes on the streets of Camelot," Aredian smirked. "It is the truth, My Lord. Fortunately I've utilised every facet of my craft to bring this matter to a swift resolution."

"The sorcerer? You have a suspect?" Uther asked bewildered.

Aredian chuckled. "Oh, I do, My Lord. I regret to say, they stand among us in this very room. My methods are infallible, my findings incontestable! The facts point to one person and one person alone: the boy, Merlin!" He was now pointing at Merlin who looked shocked.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked doubtfully. "You can't be serious."

"This is outrageous, Sir. You condemn a man without any proof!" Lyanna spat out, standing up for Merlin. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing him burn on the pyre. If he would burn, so would she.

"The tools of magic cannot be hidden from me. I am certain that a thorough search of the boy's chamber will deliver us all we need," Aredian said smugly.

Everyone now looked at the manservant. "Merlin?" the King asked.

He swallowed thickly. "I have nothing to hide from him," Merlin answered.

"Very well. Guards, restrain the boy. Let the search begin," Uther ordered.

Lyanna watched in shock how Merlin was being restrained and taken from the throne room towards the cells. Immediately a group of guards under the leading of Sir Leon, Arthur and Lyanna went to the physician chambers, followed by Gaius and Aredian. The guards began to smash all of Gaius possession's in their search for magical objects.

"Just be careful!" Lyanna shouted at them. "You're destroying this man's life's work!" She placed a reassuring hand on Gaius shoulder who smiled warmly at her. "You must remember that this is where we work and we need this stuff to treat the patients, but we can't if you smash everything to pieces."

She was completely ignored. "Comb every inch. The sorcerer is a master of concealment," Aredian said to the guards.

"There's nothing here, Aredian!" Arthur said to the Witchfinder.

"I'll be the judge of that. Over there behind this tapestry. In there, upend that stool," he instructed them. "Be sure to check for hollow legs. In there within those powder jars."

Leon broke one of the jars and found a bracelet inside of it and gave it to Aredian. "An amulet of enchantment. Were you aware, physician, that your assistant kept instruments of sorcery?"

Lyanna held her breath as she examined the bracelet. She had never seen it here before and she was sure that it didn't belong to him. "That's not Merlin's bracelet," she said determined.

Aredian narrowed his eyes. "What are you suggesting, princess?"

"I'm not suggesting, anything. I'm just saying that it's not from Merlin and -"

"It's mine," Gaius budded in and Lyanna felt her entire body going cold. This was not what she was expecting. She was quite certain that she hadn't seen this amulet before and that it didn't belong to Gaius, but she wasn't sure. She believed that he was only doing it to cover for Merlin so that his ward was safe, and she admired that. But this could mean the end of his life.

"Gaius, no," Lyanna cried out. "Don't be -"

"The amulet is mine," Gaius cut her of with a determined look on his face. He was really eager to risk his life for Merlin.

"Take him away," Aredian ordered and immediately the guards escorted the old physician. All the hope inside Lyanna's body sank as she was left alone.

Lyanna's gaze went to the devastated room and realized that almost everything had been smashed to pieces, and that nothing had been left intact. Unsure what else to do Lyanna began to clean up because it broke her heart to see the room that was like a home to her in this state.

She didn't even realize that she was sobbing quietly as she picked up some of the scattered glass before she would hurt herself to it. It was incredibly painful to do this, but she had to do it. Her breathing halted when she heard footsteps. Lyanna turned her head and saw Merlin slowly entering the room, stepping on some glass with his boots. She could see that he was holding back his tears. "They found a magical amulet in one of the jars and at first they thought it belonged to you, but then Gaius told Aredian that it was his," Lyanna enlightened him softly, rubbing the tears away. "How are you holding on?"

He knelt down beside her and helped her clean up. "I've never seen it before and Gaius hadn't made a mention about it. Maybe we're being set up," Merlin suggested wisely.

"So, you're implying that Aredian is lying about everything and just arresting people by putting the evidence there himself?" Lyanna guessed.

"It's the only explanation. How else did it get here?" '

"I don't know. But we still have time to do something. We don't know if Gaius is lying. He needs to confess first before he is found guilty and I'm afraid that if the amulet isn't his than he is willing to confess to that to save your life," she replied and sighed, knowing that their chances were shrinking. "I just can't believe that Aredian has given the order to ransack everything in this room. The entire potion and medicine stack has been destroyed. It's going to take ages to clean up and to refill it."

"I'll help you," Merlin offered and began to pick up some books that lay scattered on the floor.

Lyanna bit her bottom lip and raised one of her eyebrows. "Shouldn't you be helping Arthur now that you've been proven innocent?" she wondered.

He shook his head. "Arthur told me to go here instead. I don't have to come back today," Merlin clarified. Lyanna smiled faintly at him.

"Well, then I guess we have a lot of cleaning to do." After having admitted her feelings for the manservant to the old physician it felt weird to be around him, and was kind of painful. Especially now because she knew they could never be and that she wouldn't see him again once that she was married. She just did her best not to show what she was truly feeling, but she knew that it was hurting him as well.

They divided the parts of the room which they cleaned. As Lyanna got rid of all the scattered glass, Merlin would put all the books back on the shelves. They continued to work like that, without saying much to another. Both of them were heartbroken by the entire ordeal.

It was late in the evening when the room was starting to look much cleaner than it had done that morning. Lyanna wiped the sweat from her brow as she began to look through the broken vials to see if she could use any of the ingredients for another potions.

"I'm going to speak to Kilgharrah to see if he knows a way to solve this," Merlin said determined before he stormed out of the door. Lyanna took a deep breath before returning her attention back to the vials. All the commotion from today was exhausting her, but she forced herself to stay here until the entire physician chambers was cleaned up, which was going to take hours at least.

Once she had sorted through the vials she began to put all the damaged ingredients into a trash-bin until she eventually started to feel her eyelids grown heavy and she was fighting against her sleep.

When Merlin returned an hour later he discovered that Lyanna had fallen asleep with her head on the table, leaning on her arms. A faint smile touched his lips as he grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and carefully tugged it over her before he made his way to his own bedchamber in the hope that sleep would come to him, but he lay awake for many hours until he eventually drifted asleep.

* * *

Lyanna slowly woke up the next morning and rubbed the sleep out of her hazel eyes and stretched her back as she looked around and saw that she was sitting in the physician quarters. Her gaze lingered to the blanket that had been wrapped around her, which hadn't been there before she had fallen asleep last night which meant that someone had placed it there. There was only one person that came to mind. Merlin.

Still drowsy from sleep Lyanna walked over to the small kitchen and placed the kettle on the fire, which she had found between the mess yesterday evening. As she looked out of the window she heard footsteps coming down the steps and turned her head to see Merlin walking towards her. "Did you put this blanket on me last night?"

Merlin fidgeted with his fingers and blushed. "Y-yes I did. I wanted to make you comfortable," he admitted.

Lyanna addressed him a warm smile. "Thank you. It's much appreciated. Do you care for some tea? There isn't any food left but I can get something from the palace kitchen." That was exactly the Lyanna that Merlin knew. Even though she was the Princess of Camelot, she never acted like one. She was always making sure that everyone around her was doing alright before she thought about herself.

"Some tea would be nice," he said, scratching the back of his head. "And I'll get us some breakfast. I'll be right back." Lyanna watched him leave and then realized how simple everything was whenever she was around him. He genuinely cared for her and she trusted him with her life. The friendship between them was still strong and she immensely grateful for that. She had feared their last weeks together were going to be awkward, but they weren't at all, despite everything that was going on.

As she listened to the kettle whistling she began to brew the tea and placed two damping mugs at the table before she sat down. She was lost in her own thoughts for a moment until the door swung open again and Merlin entered, carrying two plates from the palace kitchen.

"I wasn't easy to get this because the head cook doesn't like me. So I told her that the Princess had asked me to come here and she immediately changed her mind. Seems that she is fond of you," he clarified and handed one plate at her before sitting down opposite from her.

"I think she's just been nice because I happen to be the Princess of Camelot and she kinds of needs to do what I tell her to," Lyanna muttered sceptical and looked at the plate that was filled with eggs, sausages and bread. Clearly Merlin had taken some breakfast food that was meant for the royal family and she smirked at him.

They ate their breakfast and drank their tea and they both felt slightly better, ignoring the fact that Gaius had been thrown into the dungeon because he was suspected of being a sorcerer. Surely that kept playing in the back of their minds, but it was the first time either of them had sat down for a moment after everything that had happened.

"I didn't have a chance to ask you what Kilgharrah told you last night," Lyanna said.

He took a deep breath. "Basically he said to me that he didn't know how he could be of help so we're on our own," Merlin clarified.

Lyanna fidgeted with her necklace. "So that means that we have to expose Aredian our selves. Only I have no idea how we can do such a thing."

"We'll figure something out. Right now I need to wake Arthur before he'll drag me out of here himself," Merlin responded and stood up before hurrying towards the door.

"Good luck with that," Lyanna called after him as he left the physician quarters. She started to collect the dishes and washed everything in the small kitchen. Once she had done that she swept the entire floor before washing every inch of it on her knees as she quietly sang to herself.

"_There's a house across the river, but alas I cannot swim._  
_And a garden of such beauty that the flowers seem to grin._  
_There's a house across the river, but alas I cannot swim._  
_I'll live my life regretting that I never jumped in!_

_There's a boy across the river with short black curly hair._  
_He wants to be my lover and I want to be his peer._  
_Theres a boy across the river, but alas I cannot swim._  
_And I never will get to put my arms around him_

_There's a life across the river that was meant for me._  
_Instead I live my life in constant misery._  
_There's a life across the river, but I do not see why I should please those who will never be pleased._"

Lyanna wringed the cloth above a bucket as to song had ended and exhaled relieved to see that she had finished the entire floor. Just when she was picking up the bucket to throw the water away someone entered the room. She turned her head and saw that it was Aredian and her face fell. "What are you doing here?" she demanded to know, trying to stay calm.

"I came to ask you to come along with me to my chambers to that I can talk to you because I have a few questions for you, Milady." He stepped further into the room.

"Stop where you are!" she ordered and he ignored her. "I've just washed the floor and I don't feel like doing it again. You're a horrible man, do you know that? And no, I'm not going anywhere with you. So, goodbye."

Aredian smiled smugly. "You don't have a hand for your mouth, do you princess?" Lyanna narrowed her eyes. "The questions that I want to ask you revolve around the sorcerer Gaius and since you are his assistance it's only fair that you answer them."

"I don't have to," she spat back, biting her bottom lip. "But I will for Gaius sake. What is that you want to know?"

"You are the one who makes the potions together with Gaius, am I right?" Lyanna nodded slowly. "I'm just curious if you had any clue that you were working together with a sorcerer?"

"What kind of a damned question is that? Do you truly believe that this man is a sorcerer? If he was then I surely would've noticed since we've been working together closely for the last year. We make most of the potions together and he taught me everything that I knew and I've never seen him do anything odd, if I may call it like that. Gaius is an honourable man."

"How do I know if he didn't enchant you himself?"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Lyanna almost shouted in disbelieve. "Are you being serious?"

Aradian kept his gaze transfixed upon her. "Well, perhaps you've been collaborating with this sorcerer all this time because you're a witch yourself," he responded.

"Really? Are you convinced of that?" Lyanna answered, not wanting to tell the truth to this man.

"I can assure you that the King wouldn't be pleased to find out that his own daughter was working together with a sorcerer," Aredian continued.

Lyanna lost her temper. "That's it! I have enough of this!" she began to usher the Witchfinder towards the door, and he didn't struggle much. "You can take your twisted believes with you and leave. Please!"

"So, you don't deny it, Milady?"

"I said get out!" Lyanna shouted after him and slammed the door shut when he had left the physician quarters. Anger was boiling inside her and she couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. Knowing that she wouldn't calm down Lyanna redid the entire floor and washed it again, much to her own annoyance.

Once she had done that and looked around the room to see that it was pretty much clean, but maybe objects were gone simply because they had been broken. It was going to take them months to replace every single detail in here, which she didn't have. She could only hope that Gaius would be released because she hadn't done anything wrong.

She picked up a basket from the table and walked out of the physician chambers to collect some herbs which were necessary if she wished to treat people. Lyanna searched through the lower town in the market streets and just outside the castle gate where she found some mushrooms and more rare herbs. With what she had now she didn't have enough by far to refill everything that she had lost. Some of the potions were made of plants which grew on the other side of the kingdom and she couldn't replace those, but she wished that she could. A part of her even was in the mood to just ride away from Camelot on Lumiere but she couldn't leave everyone behind. If only it was that simply.

Lyanna rested for a moment and sat down under a tree in a meadow and munched on an apple which she had stolen from an orchard. A sigh rolled over her lips. Her life surely had been a mess and nothing was going smoothly, but it was her home. Her only home. The thought of having to leave everything behind and start all over somewhere else was terrifying.

What if the people of Mercia wouldn't like her, or Prince Horsedung would be a total ass? She couldn't think like that. It was her duty to marry for the sake of this kingdom. She shouldn't be thinking so selfish. Her people came before her and if she could provide them with safety than she would marry the Prince.

Her hands were still slightly shaking from her encounter with Aredian and she truly hoped to be able to prove Gaius innocence before she would leave. Once she had finished eating her apple she stood and patted the filth of her skirt before she headed back towards the castle. She bobbed her head in greeting to the villagers that walked past her and gave them a warm smile.

As Lyanna was busy with putting all the herbs that she had found into place she heard someone enter. "Your presence is required in the council chamber, Milady," one of the guards said before leaving again. Lyanna rolled with her eyes, wishing that this nonsense would end. Her presence had never been required this much during the last week.

Once she had put everything into place she quietly left the room and walked through the corridors in silence until she had reached the council room. Lyanna walked over to her usual seat but was halted by Morgana's gentle hand on her wrist. "You're wearing the same dress as yesterday. Is all well, Lee?" the King's ward asked, sounding concerned.

"I fell asleep in the physician quarters last night because I was cleaning the place," Lyanna answered honestly.

"You should also think about yourself for a moment. You've been through enough," Morgana said to her but at that moment Aredian entered the council chamber and threw Gaius to his knees before the court. The two women sat down at her seat while Lyanna felt her throat gone dry as she watched the old physician who she loved more than her own father. Seeing him in this state was truly breaking her heart, and she was having some problems with holding back her tears.

"Confess! Confess!" Aredian shouted to the old man.

Gaius slowly looked up. "I... I am a sorcerer, Sire. I am responsible for conjuring the smoke. I'm guilty for practicing magic in Camelot, the goblin, the faces in the well, I...I am the sorcerer who conjured the toad from his mouth," he said. Lyanna's heart broke, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

Uther stood still for a moment, looking shocked. "You've betrayed me, Gaius. Betrayed your friends, and my daughter. And above all, you've betrayed yourself. By the laws of Camelot, I must sentence you to death."

Lyanna's gaze went to Gwen for a brief second before going back to Gaius. "The sorcerer will be purged of his magic by means of fire! He shall be burnt at the stake tomorrow at dawn! Bear whiteness and heed this lesson!" Aredian triumphed.

Guards dragged Gaius out of the council chamber. At that moment Merlin charged at Aredian. "You're a liar," he said, heartbroken. Before he would reach the Witchfinder both Lyanna and Arthur held him back and restrained him as they dragged him from the chamber. "You're a lair!" he shouted once more.

They guided Merlin to the palace dungeons. As soon as they let go of him the servant began to take a swing at the prince, but Arthur grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. "I know you're upset. I know you're angry. It's alright. I'm not throwing you in jail," Arthur said to him.

"Then what are you doing?" Merlin wondered, puzzled.

Arthur let go of him again. "We're breaking the law and giving you some time," Lyanna said to him. Arthur opened the cell door and Merlin immediately pulled Gaius into an embrace which brought a smile to Lyanna's lips. "We'll give you a few minutes."

She escorted Arthur away from the cells so that the two of them would have some privacy during their reunion. It didn't felt right to eavesdrop. "Are you alright?" Arthur asked after a moment of silence. "I know that you're very close with Gaius, but he's a sorcerer. We don't have another choice than to put out this sentence."

"I don't think that people who have magic deserve to die. It's a part of who they are and it doesn't mean that they're evil at heart. Our father's hatred against magic is making me sick," Lyanna retorted, crossing her arms.

"You can't say that, Lee. Have you ever met a sorcerer?"

_I am on you idiot_. "No, but that doesn't change my opinion about it. It's wrong to judge people on having such a power if they use it for good. There are many good sorcerers out there, but they are being punished for the mistakes of the bad. It's wrong and it pains me."

"So you would like to see magic return to Camelot?" Arthur wondered a bit astonished.

"Yes. There's nothing terrifying about magic, Arthur," Lyanna replied. "All though if magic will be allowed again I'll won't be there to whiteness that, because I'll be in Mercia. One day you'll see the good of it, I can guarantee you that."

"I still cannot believe that you'll be leaving me within a few weeks," Arthur said changing the subject because it had clearly gotten too personal for him. "I'm going to miss you. Who else am I going to have to tease all the time?"

"I'm pretty sure that you'll continue to tease Merlin while I'm gone so I'm not worried about that," she answered, and Arthur chuckled before pulling her in for a hug. "But I am going to miss you a lot." She didn't want to put too much thought into it.

They just stood there for a few moments until Arthur decided that the time over and they walked back to the cells to get Merlin. As Arthur escorted his manservant out of the dungeons Lyanna quickly sneaked into the cell herself and wrapped her arms tightly around Gaius. "The amulet wasn't yours, was it? I've never seen it before."

"No, it is not mine. Merlin told me it wasn't his either."

She refused to let go of him because it felt so good to hold after all that he had been through. "We're going to find a way to prove your innocence. I cannot let your burn for a crime you did not commit," Lyanna said determined.

"You shouldn't, Lyanna. It's far too dangerous. You're risking your life," Gaius sputtered back.

"My life is of no importance without you in, Gaius. I'm closer to you than I am with my own father and letting you die to protect Merlin isn't something I'm going to let you get away with. Don't worry about me. We'll outsmart, Aredian," she assured him.

Slowly, Gaius pulled back. "I appreciate what you're doing dear, but really it isn't necessary. My life is almost at its end now. Aredian also treated to tell the King that you and Morgana have magic."

Lyanna couldn't longer hold in the tears she had been holding all day. "So, you promised to plead guilty while you're innocent because you're afraid we also will be thrown on the pyre once my Father finds out. I don't know what to say."

He shook his head. "I don't think I'm going to see you again, but I want to say to you that you should think about your own happiness for once. Don't throw your life away. Please. Do that for me," he pleaded.

She bit her bottom lip. "I wish that it was that simple. But no, we will see each other again. This isn't goodbye, Gaius." Lyanna placed a kiss on his forehead before she walked out of the cells and locked it before making her way out of the dungeons.

She entered the physician chambers in the hope that she could continue with refilling the potion supply. Surprisingly enough Merlin was already there, tears stinging in his eyes. "Did you speak to him?" he asked.

"I did," Lyanna answered as she walked over to the table and began to place empty vials before her.

Gwen burst into the physician chambers, looking rather frightened about something. "He won't let go! He won't stop! The Witchfinder is questioning Morgana again. I'm worried. She's close to breaking point."

Lyanna's gaze lingered to Merlin for a second. That meant that Aredian had lied about his bargain with Gaius to spare the lives of the Princess and the King's ward. Else he wouldn't be questioning her again. "He knows. He knows," Lyanna only muttered to herself.

"Yeah, that's what he does. He breaks you down and in the end you confess whether you're guilty or not," Merlin responded.

Gwen looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Gaius was set up. Aredian planted that amulet here," Lyanna informed her.

"But why would he do such a thing?" Gwen questioned.

Merlin paced slightly through the room as he spoke. "Aredian is paid to catch sorcerer's. Maybe he doesn't care whether someone is guilty or not. Maybe he gets confessions by lying, by planting evidence, just as long as he gets a confession, he gets his money," he suggested.

"Then we have to get proof," Lyanna answered firmly. Merlin nodded at her before storming out of the chambers. Gwen looked a bit concerned. "Don't worry. Merlin knows what he's doing. He'll be alright. I'll make some tea."

Gwen only watched the princess walking to the small kitchen and preparing the two of them some tea. "I just can't believe you'll be leaving within a few weeks," the maid blurted after a moment of silence. "You'll be a wonderful Queen one day. I just feel it."

I wish I did. "Thank you, Gwen. It means a lot that you're saying this to me. You're the best friend I ever had and my life is going to be empty without you."

"Then perhaps I can come along with you to Mercia," she suddenly suggested.

Lyanna's already big hazel eyes widened. "You want to come with me?"

Gwen nodded. "That way I can still be your friend."

That really touched Lyanna's who was a bit overwhelmed by this request. "But what about Morgana? She needs you here."

"I'm sure she'll manage without me. You need me more. Besides you wouldn't be completely alone in a different kingdom." Lyanna figured that this was Gwen's way of also leaving Arthur behind and perhaps get over her feelings for him. She smiled at her friend before she pulled her into a warm embrace.

"It makes me so happy that you're saying this," Lyanna replied.

At that moment Merlin pretty stormed into the physician chambers again, holding something small in his clenched fists. The two women let go of each other as he approached hastily. "I've found these flower petals in Aredian's closet -" he began to explain and showed it to them.

Lyanna picked up on of the peach coloured petals and took a close look. "These are the petals from the Belladonna which is a dangerous plant," she said to them before walking over to the other table and picking up one of the books as she quickly fluttered through it for a moment until she found what she was looking for. "Under certain conditions, a tincture of the flower can produce hallucinations," she read out loud.

Merlin scoffed. "Aredian's witnesses. It wasn't magic they were seeing, it was visions," he responded. Lyanna nodded in agreement.

"It makes sense, if he's faking the evidence. But how can we prove it?" Gwen enquired.

"No, Aredian's too clever to have given the tincture to them directly in case they would tell. The witnesses, they must've got it from someone else," Lyanna suggested.

"They could've been getting it from anyone," Gwen muttered.

"Is there anything, anything at all that these people had in common?" Merlin wondered, eying Lyanna who smiled faintly at him.

"Nothing at all. Besides the fact that they are all women," she replied puzzled. "But that's not what they have in common. There has to be something else."

Gwen's dark eyes lit up. "Yes, it does. What's the one thing only women would buy? Things to make them look beautiful," she responded.

"Wow! That's some clever thinking, Gwen," Lyanna said impressed before she and Merlin followed the maidservant out of the physician quarters.

The three of them exited the castle and walked out into the chill night air. Lyanna wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself warm as she followed Gwen, who was running through the streets of the lower town. The Princess hadn't been here before. Normally Marie and Gwen were always the one who bought such products for her. Gwen knocked on the door several times with great haste.

An older man stepped outside and Lyanna recognized him as the apothecary of Camelot. "Gwen?" he asked a bit blown away to see her here at this time of the night. "Milady," he greeted unsure when he caught sight of Lyanna, who bobbed her head a little.

They stepped inside. "Do you sell a tincture of Belladonna?" Lyanna asked, sounding rather frantic.

"Please, it's important," Gwen said to him.

The man thought for a second. "Well, I, I think I've got some somewhere, but what you'd be wanting with eye drops in the middle of the night, I really don't want to know."

"Eye drops?" Lyanna asked confused.

"Yes. Women use them to make their eyes more beautiful," he answered and handed Merlin a tincture. Lyanna have never come across a woman who would use this. Perhaps it was a new trend that she knew nothing about.

"Where did you get this?" the warlock enquired.

"Well, my usual suppliers," the apothecary said.

"Sure you didn't get it from someone else?" Lyanna guessed.

"Of course I'm sure. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to get some sleep." It was clear as day that the man was hiding something which he didn't want to share with them, but they had to know the truth.

Gwen looked at the man. "It was Aredian who gave you the Belladonna, wasn't it?" she figured.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"But you know that Gaius is going to be executed tomorrow, don't you?" Lyanna then asked, trying to put some pressure on him.

His face remained motionless. "That has nothing to do with me," he retorted.

"That has everything to do with you! Aredian's witnesses saw visions. Visions produced by the Belladonna in these eye drops! If we can prove this, we have a chance of saving Gaius," Merlin ranted, getting desperate.

"You can be honest with us. No harm will come to you. You have my word," Lyanna offered him politely and she meant it.

He swallowed thickly. "Aredian forced to sell it. He, he said he'd kill me if I said anything to anyone, Milady," he finally admitted. Lyanna felt a weight falling from her shoulders now that they knew the truth.

"Thank you, Sir. For everything. We need you to tell the truth once more before court tomorrow so that we can prove Gaius innocence. We'll leave you to your sleep now."

The three of them quickly left the man's house and began to head back to the castle. They entered the physician chambers in the middle of the night. Merlin grabbed the tincture and Belladonna petals. "That's it. We've got everything we need," he said.

"But is it enough?" Gwen asked sceptical.

"We've got a witness as well. Surely that's enough?" Lyanna replied, sitting down at the table and looking through the vials.

"It's just our word against Aredian! We've only got once chance at this. We've got to give Uther something he cannot deny. Something not even Aredian can talk himself out of," Gwen said.

Merlin's face lit up. "I'll be as quick as I can." He stormed out of the room again.

Lyanna smirked because she had figured out his plan. "He's just going to plant some evidence in Aredian's room in case they want to search it tomorrow," she informed the maid. "That way they will surely find him guilty."

"How can you be so positive?" Gwen asked her.

"I have to be. Holding onto hope is what keeps us going. The world cannot go without it," Lyanna replied.

The two of them stood there for a while until they saw sunlight entering through the window. Lyanna felt a pit of anxiety grow inside her stomach, but she kept quiet. She had decided to quickly run to the palace kitchen to grab something easy to eat to still the hunger and to not lose their strength.

Merlin ran into the physician chambers again. "Merlin! Where have you been?" Gwen asked and rushed over to him.

"It's done. Everything is in place," he said to them.

"But it's too late! Gaius has already left the dungeons!" Gwen responded, rather frantic.

"Then we'll have to delay the execution," Merlin suggested.

"I need to speak with Arthur," Lyanna said and was already hurrying towards the door.

"No, leave that to me," Gwen objected and stormed out of the room. Both Lyanna and Merlin exchanged a puzzled look with each other before they hurried out of the room as well. Instead of going outside Lyanna leaded Merlin up the stairs and through the corridors into her bedroom and unto the balcony which had a good view of what was going at the main square.

Aredian escorted Gauis to the pyre in the horse-drawn cage. The physician was being brought out, and Aredian opened the cage and dragged Gaius towards the pyre there as if he was only a sack of rotten vegetables. Both sorcerers felt anger burning inside them to see how someone was treating their father figure without any care or some respect.

As Gaius was being tied to the pole on the pyre Gwen was talking to Arthur in the middle of the crowd. "Come on, Gwen," Lyanna pleaded desperately. If they couldn't stop this execution everything that they had done had been for nothing.

Merlin gently placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her in the only way that he knew, but it wasn't enough for Lyanna and she put her feelings aside as she pulled him in for a hug and buried her head into his chest. She didn't want to watch this. Merlin's body tensed for a second before he eased down a bit and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his head on top of hers. In that moment all her feelings for him overwhelmed her, but she kept quiet and enjoyed being so close to him.

"Aredian is lowering the torch to light the pyre," Merlin told her because she wasn't looking herself. He was silent for a moment. "Arthur has given the order for this to stop! We can proof Gaius is innocent."

Lyanna freed herself a bit from his grasp and their gazes met for an intense moment and neither one of them dared to look away. She felt her cheeks burn as he flashed her his goofy grin which she had come to adore so much. "We need to address to court. Come," she said and they ran out of her bedroom.

As they entered the throne room they saw that a small crowd had already gathered. Morgana and Arthur sat next to the throne while Uther stood beside it with Aredian next to him. The witnesses were also present.

Lyanna turned to Merlin. "Do you want me to do the word?" she offered.

He slowly shook his head. "No, we'll do this together," he said quietly and gave her a lopsided smile which send her heart racing and she did her best to hide her burning face when Merlin turned towards the court. "Sire," he began, louder this time. "The witnesses saw nothing but hallucinations included by the Belladonna in these eye drops."

Lyanna ignored the intense staring from Aredian and handed the tincture to her father who looked at it for a moment. "And you bought this Belladonna from this man?" Uther asked the witnesses as they looked at the apothecary, and they all nodded. "Where did you get it from? Don't be afraid, no harm will come to you here."

The gaze of the old man lingered to Lyanna for a brief moment who gave him an encouraging smile. "The Witchfinder," he admitted. "He gave it to me."

"And did he tell you what it was for?" Lyanna asked him.

He shook his head. "No, Milady. Only that if I didn't sell it, he'd have me burnt at the stake." The court gasped in shock at this accusation. Lyanna tried to hide her smirk behind her hand.

Uther looked at the Witchfinder. "How do you answer to these accusations?"

Aredian scoffed. "They're absurd. The boy clearly concocted these lies in the hope of saving his master," he protested.

Lyanna narrowed her eyes. "Then perhaps you won't mind if we search your chamber, will you?" Merlin asked him.

"Silence!" Uther interrupted him. "You have no authority here!"

"Father," Lyanna began, placidly. "I'm the one who helped Merlin find out these things because we believe that Aredian is lying about everything. Let's settle this once and for all. If what we say is wrong, then I must bear the consequences. But if there is some truth in what we say..."

Aredian was pretty much throwing daggers at the princess who was grinning like an innocent child because she had him right where she wanted him. He had no other choice. If he would deny they would surely suspect him and throw him into the dungeons. "I have nothing to hide."

Merlin was looking rather pleased with himself. Five minutes later Merlin, Lyanna, Arthur, Uther and Aredian stood in the guest chamber that was being used by the Witchfinder. The guards were tossing around everything in the room.

"You're wasting your time," Aredian said to him.

"The cupboard over there," Lyanna instructed the guards and saw Merlin smirking in the corner of her eyes.

One of the guards pulled open the cupboard and dozens of amulets dropped and a stash of Belladonna tincture was inside.

"These things don't belong to me!" Aredian objected. "This is a trick!" He coughed before pointing his finger towards Merlin as Arthur unsheathed his sword. "That boy and girl plotted against me!"

He tried to clear his throat and bend over a little as an enormous toad came out of his mouth. Lyanna knew that Merlin had done that with his magic, and was trying to hide her smile. The toad croaked and crawled over the floor.

"Sorcerer!" Uther shouted and unsheathed his own sword and his guards followed.

Aredian grabbed a dagger from a nearby table and pulled Lyanna towards him, threatening to harm the princess who remained pretty calm.

"Aredian, think carefully about what you're doing. You will never escape from Camelot alive," Uther warned him with a low voice.

"I will if you value the life of your daughter. Hmm?" Aredian retorted.

"**Forbærnan**," Merlin chanted quietly and only Lyanna heard it. The handle of the dagger that Aredian was holding became hot and he dropped it. Lyanna turned around and slapped the Witchfinder across his cheek and nudged him backward as he fell through the window. She heard him screaming until his body hit the ground in the courtyard.

Lyanna was breathing heavily as she felt Arthur wrap his arms around her. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" he asked panicked.

"I'm alright," she assured him, feeling glad that who ordeal with the Witchhunter was over and the man was dead. He wouldn't kill anymore innocent people and that was a big relief to her.

As she pulled back Uther placed a long kiss on her forehead. "We should listen to you more often because it would seem that you were right again," he said.

"It wasn't just me, Father. Merlin and Guinevere and I did it together," Lyanna clarified. "I believe that you need to apologize to your physician after what happened."

Arthur wrapped his arm around her shoulder again and together the two twins walked out of the room.

* * *

**The song that Lyanna sang is Alas I cannot swim from Laura Marling. As you've all may noticed now that the wedding of Lyanna and Carlyle isn't here yet, but it's coming ;) Should be within a few chapters. I can't say too much about yet so I'm afraid you guys have to wait a bit longer.**

**EmilyGrace31: I'm glad that you liked it :) I was pretty anxious about it because of what I've done haha. I could work with an evil and an amazing writer that sounds awesome haha xp Although I do prefer to write fluff so I'm going to make it up with you in a few chapters. Maybe Lyanna will become that lovely wife to Merlin. Who knows? Well, I do -add evil laughter- What unpleasant thing are you refering to? Will you steal Colin? :o I hope not. I'm sorry for playing with your heart. I won't do it again. I promise ;) Thank you for reviewing again!**

**LadyMorganaPendragon: Don't worry too much about him ;) Thinks will work out for poor Merlin haha**

**HPuni101: I had to add some extra drama and introducing the prince of Mercia was the perfect opportunity to do that. You weren't surprised? I guess that it is something that Uther could have arranged himself had his troll wife hadn't done it. But I can't say too much about prince Carlyle's character besides that you have to be patient and that he won't disappoint haha. Yes princess Elena will have her part in this story because she's indeed so much fun. Once again I'm sorry for the grammar mistakes. I'll have a look at it ;) Sorry that I didn't make Lucy Lyanna's ward, but the girl might make a few re-appearances in the future. But thank you for your review and being so kind! :)**

**Lbunny: *hands you a tissue and cries with you* I'm sorry.**

**dream lighting: Yeah, we all know that Uther can be a bit of a prick sometimes and doesn't care about love and feelings. Arthur will help his sister get through this ;) But I can assure you that she won't flee. Lyanna is someone who has accepted her fate and is willing to put her own happiness aside for the sake of the kingdom.**

**lillycullen1997: I'm so sorry :( But I need to have them apart for a bit longer. Things will resolve in the end and you'll be happy. I'm sure of it :)**

**Guest: I didn't mean to make you cry :( Accept my apologies. They will be together. I can promise you that. They do deserve that a lot and they're madly in love with each other after all. I may have something epic up my sleeve indeed but you have to wait for the wedding for that to happen ;) Don't combust please. I need you in one piece. Thank you for reviewing again! :D**

**Simone98: Sorry :( They were very happy together and they will be again. I don't like a sad Merlin, but it won't last long ;) Arthur may not lose his sister. We'll see haha.**

**ArmyWife22079: Sorry xD I know it's heartbreaking. Arthur will have some conversations with both Merlin and Lyanna to knock some sense into them. But I can't tell anything about Prince Carlyle yet. You have to be patient I'm afraid. **

**Guest2: Well, by now you've figured that out. She's still living at Camelot and might make a tiny cameo in the future ;)**

**RevanKnight25: I'm going to blend our Prince Carlyle into an episode to add some extra drama :) That's all that I can say.**

**Jayden2335: Awh thank you so much for saying that. I'm glad that you like it so much. Lyanna's betrothed will make an appearence within a few chapters. That's all that I can say for now. And thank you again :D**


	22. The Sins of the Father

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own the ones that I've made up myself.

**A/N- **Just a small reminder that Prince Carlyle won't make an appearance just yet ;)

**- x Milou Lilly**

* * *

**Chapter 22: The Sins of the Father**

Lyanna looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a violet coloured dress with long sleeves which hugged all her curves in the right places. Her golden hair was braided into separate layers and a flower circled was placed on the top of her head. Gwen had applied some red lipstick and some dark eye shadow.

"Do you like it?" Morgana asked her excited with humour in her eyes as she stepped beside her and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

The princess turned her head and cocked one of her eyebrows at the King's ward. "Yeah, I think that I do. But I don't understand why you and Gwen doffed me up like this," she replied.

"Because the hall will be filled with the finest knights that this kingdom has to offer," Morgana smirked delighted as Lyanna rolled with her eyes.

"Have you forgotten that I am to marry next week?" Lyanna replied with a light smile on her lips. She wished that she could forget about it herself so she wouldn't be thinking about it all the time. Now she kept wondering what her life was going to be like in Mercia. Surely it couldn't compare to the one that she had now, but it wasn't relevant.

"Of course haven't I forgotten about that. I've promised that I'm the one who is arranging your wedding dress, remember? Besides that doesn't mean that you can't stare at other men," Morgana responded and chuckled.

"You are so wicked," Lyanna giggled. "Why don't we find a fine knight for you?" Of course Aglain's warning about the King's ward was still fresh in her mind and that she shouldn't trust her, but when she was alone with she couldn't see why she shouldn't trust her. She was just enjoying the company of her friend.

Morgana hooked her arm through that of Lyanna. "I say that is a very wise idea. Let's see how many men will turn their head when we walk by." Lyanna snorted as they walked out of the bedroom of the princess and through the corridors until they went down the stairs. As they entered the hall of ceremonies where the bestowing was being held the two women were talking quietly as they kept laughing.

The crowd that had already gathered there looked in awe at the presence of the women who made their way to the front of the hall. "I think that you've turned quite a lot of heads," Lyanna said to her.

"Is isn't just me, Lee. Some of these men can't seem to stop staring at you," Morgana replied when they had reached the front of the hall and stood still. "If you weren't getting married they would be fighting for your hand."

For some reason that thought frightened Lyanna a bit. She had no interest in any of these knights and hoped that they kept their distance from there. There was only one man that held her heart but she didn't dare to admit that to her. Already enough people knew about that. And nevertheless they had ended things together. Her heart should belong to her new husband, whoever he was.

At that moment Uther entered the hall and the ceremony began. Everyone kept quiet as the two knights knelt in front of the King of Camelot. Lyanna caught Morgana staring at one of the knights and she hid her smirk behind her hand.

"Arise Sir Vidor, Knight of Camelot. Arise Sir Carador, Knight of Camelot," the King said to them and placed the sword on their shoulders before they rose. "You have been accorded a great honour. But with that honour comes great responsibility. From this day forth, you are sworn to live by the knights' code. You have pledged to conduct yourself with nobility, honour and respect. Your word is your sacred bond. You will find no one who better embodies these values then my son, Arthur. Follow his example, and you will prove yourself worthy of your title."

The entire court turned their head towards the door as they heard the sound of people fighting with their swords outside. Lyanna chewed on her cheek as the door slammed open and a knight wearing a helmet to cover its face entered the hall. The newly made knights draw their swords as the knight approached. The knight dropped a gauntlet in front of the prince. Lyanna charged herself towards it, but Arthur jumped in front of her and picked it up himself, much to her dismay. She was willing to fight if it was necessary.

"I accept your challenge," Arthur said. "If I'm to face you in combat, do me the courtesy of revealing your identity."

The knight removed the helmet only to reveal a wealth of long blonde tresses. The entire court gasped to see that his opponent was a woman. "My name is Morgause," she introduced herself. Lyanna thought that she looked pretty and strong. Everyone was exchanging confused looks with each other as the woman was being escorted to the guest chamber where she could rest before the duel tomorrow.

Quickly the entire hall was being emptied and Lyanna followed Morgana out of the hall. The two women made their way back to the chamber of the King's ward. She plopped down on the sofa with Gwen beside her as Morgana was looking out of the window. "Don't you think there's something wrong with that woman?" Morgana asked.

"Hardly," Lyanna scoffed. "A woman practicing sword fighting is a rare thing and should be appreciated." The princess stood up and saw Morguause practicing in the main square, which was abandoned except for a few guards. "Her stance is pretty good."

"Don't be too impressed with her," Gwen interrupted with a friendly smile, making Lyanna chuckle lightly. "She is to fight your brother, remember? But who is she? It seems no one's ever heard of her."

"It is quite odd. All the female fighters that there are quite known. Perhaps she is from another kingdom," Lyanna replied, not finding anything suspicious about the woman.

"I feel as if I've met here somewhere before," Morgana said.

"Really?" Gwen enquired puzzled. "Where could you know her from?"

"I don't know."

Lyanna placed her hand on Morgana's shoulder in a comfortable way. "If I were you I shouldn't worry too much about her. She seems alright," she tried to assure her. "Why don't you tell me why you were staring at that knight all the time?"

Morgana loosened up a little at that, which was exactly what Lyanna had intended. She hated seeing the people that she cared about being so gloom. They sat down on the sofa again and Morgana began to talk about the knights. Speaking about men like that wasn't exactly something Lyanna was very fond of, but it cheered up her friend which was enough for her.

Shortly after that Lyanna was walking through the palace corridors by herself just to stretch her legs a little before she would return to her own chamber and to get some rest. She was walking around the lower floor and turned around a corner when she bumped into Merlin, and was just in time to catch her before she would fall. "Oof, sorry," she apologized. "Why do we always keep bumping into each other?"

"I have no idea," Merlin shrugged and let go of her.

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows together. "What are you doing here? Were you visiting the female knight?" she guessed and him getting nervous. "Oh! You were!"

"Arthur pretty much forced me to go there to ask Morgause to retreat from the match so that he wouldn't have to fight a woman," he responded and she sighed.

"And I take it that Morgause refused to do so. I wouldn't do so if I were here. She has got some nerves to challenge the Crown Prince of Camelot like that. It's a wonderful way to prove yourself if you manage to win and I think she has a fair chance."

He was looking her intently in her eyes which made Lyanna feel a bit uncomfortable because she suddenly remembered that this was the man that she was in love with, and it wasn't making things easier for her. He was her friend. Nothing more. She had to accept that.

"Yes. Well..." Merlin stammered and cleared his throat. "I should get back to Arthur."

She watched him walking away and her heart ached to see him leave, but it was for the best. Around this time next week she wouldn't have to deal with this anymore and it was all in the past. He would only be a part of her memories from then on.

As Lyanna was about to continue her stroll she saw Morgause coming out of the guest room that she been staying in. Once she caught sight of the princess she smiled warmly at her before walking over to her. "I saw you practicing outside," Lyanna said as they stood still in front of each other. "You seem to be quite good with a sword." And you've killed more than eight guards on your way here...

"I'm honestly flattered by that, Milady. It means a lot. Especially coming from such a strong female knight herself," Morgause replied, sounding impressed.

"Well, I'm not a knight," Lyanna corrected her. "Women are not allowed to become knights here in Camelot. I mainly help my brother with training the knights here."

"You're doing a very good job with them I might say. Your skill with a sword is well known all throughout the five kingdoms."

"Thank you. It's getting late and I should get going. I think you have a fair chance of winning tomorrow and I wish you well." She gave her a smile before Lyanna turned around and hurried back into the direction where she came from. While she had been talking to Morgause she had the feeling that the female knight wasn't completely honest with her, but she must've been imaging it.

Without knocking Lyanna entered the chamber of the prince and found Merlin preparing Arthur for the fight by helping him into his armour. At the sound of her approaching they both looked at her. "Is there a reason why you barged in like that?" Arthur asked, a bit annoyed.

Lyanna rolled with her eyes. "Gee, I merely came here with wish you good luck for your fight with Morgause, but now that I'm here I think I'm going to take that back," she replied sarcastically. "You can be such an idiot at times, do you know that?"

"Yes, but for some reason you still love me," he joked and Lyanna laughed.

"Sometimes I do." She walked over to him as Merlin stepped aside because he had finished helping the prince into his armour and gave the royal siblings some space. Lyanna appreciated that and pulled Arthur into a hug. "I think it's going to be a difficult match, but you can win this."

"What do you mean a difficult match? She's a -"

"A woman? Arthur, really?" She let go of him to look him into his eyes. "Some women know how to fight as well. Not all of them know how to sew." Merlin snorted at that.

"I always thought that you were the only one," he retorted and Lyanna chuckled before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Nevertheless I want to wish you good luck and tell you that I believe in you. As I always do," she assured him.

Arthur wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "What would I do without my biggest fan?" he questioned, gratefully.

"You would lose pretty much most of your battles," she teased him before nudging him into his side. "I hardly believe hat you need my cheering to help you win. You're the finest knight that Camelot has for a reason."

He addressed her a genuine smile which made her chest tighten before he placed a final kiss on her cheek. "Thank you, Lee. For everything. You're the greatest."

"I know," Lyanna kidded and Arthur sighed, but with a grin on his lips. "I should get going. I'll see you later then." She turned towards the door and gave a faint smile to Merlin before she left the bedroom and headed down the palace corridors. On her way she met up with Morgana and Gwen and the three women made their way to the tournament grounds.

Before Lyanna could sit down her father gently brought her to a halt by grabbing her wrist. She turned her head and looked up to him. "Lyanna my dear, have you heard anything about this Morgause?" he asked her, sounding rather desperate. His gaze was transfixed upon Morgause who was waiting in the arena.

She shook her head. "No, Father. Honestly this is the first time that I've seen her. I've talked to her yesterday evening, but she didn't mention why she was here. She must have a desire to prove herself," she replied unsure.

"I'm sure you're right," Uther muttered and let go of her as she sat down beside him. "Do you think that she could win?" Lyanna was a bit puzzled by her father's sudden concerns for her brother, but she wasn't sure if it was because her feared that Arthur would lose and make a disgrace of the family name of that he could get killed.

"That's possible, yes. I haven't seen her fight before so I'm not sure how skilled she truly is, but she was training last night and she seemed to know what she was doing," Lyanna replied.

Uther didn't have time to ask more questions Arthur entered the arena and the crowd cheered at the arrival of their prince. Lyanna was clapping and gave Morgana an encouraging smirk. "The fight is by the Knight's Rules. And to the death," he instructed them.

Arthur walked over to Morgause and said something to her, but Lyanna couldn't hear it from over there. They took their starting position and Morgause opened the attack after a few seconds, but Arthur blocked her. Their swords were clashing against each other in an aggressive manner, both eager to win this match.

Lyanna was sitting on the edge of her seat and nervously fidgeting with her mother's necklace as she watched the battle bellow unfold. It should've been her who had picked up the gauntlet so she wouldn't be worrying so much for her brother. Morgana tried to comfort her by grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently which didn't seem to work too much.

Both of them were skilled fighters and the fight was going rather equal, making it more exciting for everyone to behold. Arthur managed to unarm Morgause and cut her arm while doing so. Some people clapped for their prince who twirled his sword in his hands while Morgause picked up hers to continue the fight. He could've killed her, but he's being gentle...

Morgause opened the fight again. The metal slamming on metal was heard all throughout the arena. Arthur pressed Morgause against the barrier, but the woman managed to tackle the prince by shoving her leg out. Arthur was now lying on the floor and Morgause had her sword pressed against his chest. Everyone in the arena was watching them in awe to see who would survive. The two knights said a few things to each other and then Morgause lowered her sword and held out her hand. Arthur took it and she helped him onto his feet. She had spared his life while she could've just killed him. Morgause bowed in front of the royal family before she walked away.

* * *

Lyanna was sitting at her usual spot near the window in the physician chamber just mincing some ingredients while Gaius sat on the opposite of her reading one of his books. There hung a silence in the room neither of them wanted to break so they kept quiet. After the fight Lyanna had immediately made her way over here because she needed to put her mind of things, which always worked whenever she was here.

There was a knock on the door and Gaius muttered an 'enter'. The door opened and Morgause stepped inside. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "My arm got cut during the fight and I was hoping a physician would be able to treat it."

"Sure not a problem at all," Lyanna said and rose and gestured towards a chair. "Please sit down. Does it hurt?" Morgause sat down as she was being told to and shook her head while Lyanna grabbed a few supplies before turning to the female knight. She began to rub some healing ointment on the cut. "You're fortunate the wound isn't too deep."

Gaius stepped beside them as Lyanna did some bandage around the wounded arm. "You seem familiar. Have you visited Camelot in the past?" he asked the woman.

"I was here many years ago. I was just a baby at the time. I doubt you'd remember me," Morgause answered him. Lyanna had finished putting some bandage on and Morgause rose. "I'm grateful for your help." With those words she left the physician chamber.

"There is something about the woman. I just can't put my fingers on it," Gaius said determined while Lyanna washed her hands in a bucket full of water.

"Just because she's a skilled fighter and a woman that doesn't mean that she cannot be trusted," the princess replied doubtfully and turned towards the physician.

"That's not what I meant, dear. I'm just talking about her in person, not being a female knight. I'm probably overrating. Anyway do you want to go the lower town with me to visit some patients?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'll follow you." Lyanna picked up the satchel with healing supplies before strolling after Gaius out the physician chambers.

* * *

It was a couple hours after dawn the next morning when Lyanna had just finished getting dressed with the help of Gwen. Her maidservant had gone to assist Morgana and had left the princess alone who was now walking through the palace garden until she reached the path which leaded the secret garden that she shared with her brother. Surprisingly enough she found him sitting there on a log. She plopped down beside him. "Why are you looking so gloom? You're still alive!"

Arthur was fidgeting with his fingers. "Haven't you heard what our father has said to me?" Lyanna shook her head. "Because Morgause spared my life she asked me to come and find her within a few days, only father has forbidden me to do and has ordered guards to follow me. I managed to sneak away from them for a while."

Lyanna's hazel eyes met his blue ones. "Let me guess. You plan to meet up with Morgause anyway?"

"Yes. She told me that she knew our mother. Maybe she can tell us more about her. Lee, we have to try meet her," Arthur responded.

"We? Arthur I have no desire to -"

"Surely you want to know more about our mother," Arthur gently interrupted her. "Our father never talks about her. Haven't you ever wondered what our mother was like? This might be our chance to find out. We have to take it. Besides I've already promised Morgause that I would come."

The princess sighed. "Let me get this straight. You plan to sneak out of Camelot while you're being followed everywhere by guards, and meet up with this woman somewhere who maybe could tell you a few things about our mother. Am I correct?"

"Well, if you put it like that it sounds a bit crazy, doesn't it? I was kind of hoping that you would come with me. I want you to be at my side when we do this together."

Lyanna grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'll come with you. We're siblings and we're going to do this together. Where did Morgause tell you to meet her?"

"She only told me that I'll find my way to her when the time is right," Arthur muttered a bit puzzled. "But I'm glad that you're coming with me, Lee. It means the world to me."

She placed her head onto his shoulder as Arthur wrapped his arm around her.  
"It might be the last thing we'll do together before I'll leave," Lyanna muttered.

"I don't want you to leave," Arthur stated. "You belong here in Camelot with the people that love you. Not shipped of to another kingdom where you'll be a stranger. I don't know much about Prince Carlyle, but if he puts a finger on you I'll kill him myself."

"I am to be his wife soon. Surely he has to put a finger on me one day," she replied. That thought put the shivers into her skin. "But I'm grateful that you're defending my honour in that way, Archie."

"You deserve nothing but the best, Lee. None of us want to see you unhappy nor want to see you go. I've tried to break off your betrothal by talking to father for several days, but he refused to see sense."

Lyanna looked up at him. "You talked to father for me? Arthur, you're an absolute dear. But I need to marry Prince Carlyle. It's for the sake of both kingdoms. We could use a strong alliance with Mercia and this is the only way."

"But what about the man you truly love?" Lyanna averted his gaze and looked down at her hands which were lying on her leg. "Merlin."

"Well, what about Merlin?" she wondered softly.

"How do you think it will impact him when you're not around. He's going to heartbroken because you were always there at his side. I'm certain he's going to be an even worse servant now and lack his duty because he's broken by my sister who will be married to a wealthy Prince, to which he could never compare."

His words hurt Lyanna. It felt as if someone had ripped her heart out of her chest and was crushing it beneath its boot. "There is nothing that I can do to change that. Merlin always knew that this would happen one day. We've ended things together and now both need to be adults and move on."

"But can you?" Arthur asked, but sister remained quiet. "I don't know whether you believe in true love, but I do. And I think that's what the two of you have. Both of you are going to be completely miserable for the rest of your lives without being together. You're going to pretend to be happy when you're in Mercia, but you can't lie to yourself, Lee."

She swallowed on her saliva. "What would you have me do then?" She looked up at him again and he noticed the hurt in her eyes.

"Don't marry Prince Carlyle. You're already putting everyone's needs before yours and its time that you'll finally think about yourself for once. Forget that father might be angry at you for the rest of your life."

"Arthur, I can't. If I don't marry Carlyle father will surely arrange a new betrothal for me and I'll be in the same pickle. I have to marry him. It's expected of me. What else can I do? Blow it off like you say and wait here with Merlin until you become King and maybe change the law so that a class barrier doesn't matter anymore?"

"You know I can't promise that. Besides I won't be King for years and -"

"I appreciate the concern, Archie. But it is my duty to marry Prince Carlyle and we all have to accept that."

"That doesn't mean that I have to like it. You're my little sister after all," Arthur retorted.

"Only by ten minutes," Lyanna chuckled and Arthur wrapped his arm tighter around his sister. "When will we leave?"

"I had hoped to leave somewhere during the night so we'll be gone before they'll notice that we're gone."

"But how do you plan to sneak out of your room when there are guards following you everywhere?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll figure something. I'll meet you at your spot in the forest at midnight. Take Lumiere with you and get all your gear and supplies that you need. We might be gone for a few days," Arthur suggested.

"Alright. Good luck with that."

* * *

"Good evening, Milady," Tir greeted Lyanna as she walked into the stables an hour before midnight. The hood of her cloak was up in the hope to cover her face, but the stableboy knew that she was coming. "Your horse is saddled and ready to go, Milady."

"Thank you, Tir. I appreciate that you're willing to do this at this hour. Does your mother know where you are?"

The stableboy shook his head. "I haven't told her about this, Milady. She would worry about me. She always does," he responded.

"Then you shouldn't keep her waiting," Lyanna replied, addressing him a friendly smile before she handed him a small pouch. "This should be enough to make up for it. You could treat your mother to something nice."

Tir's eyes widened when he saw the amount of gold inside the pouch. "Milady. I-I can't. It's too much," he objected.

"Nonsense. You deserve it. You've been a wonderful stableboy for years now. It's time you'll be rewarded for it. Really, Tir, you should go now. I'll be fine."

He nodded a few times. "Thank you, Milady. I'll remember this," Tir said gratefully and quietly made his way out of the stables while Lyanna walked over to the box where Lumiere was waiting for her. She patted his strong neck before she gently pulled him along with her by his reigns. Once she was outside she smoothly mounted Lumiere and kicked the steed into a gallop. She heard guards calling her to stop, but she rode swifter and easily left them and Camelot behind them.

Lyanna rode through the forest, Lumiere's hooves kicking up dirt. It was getting closer to midnight as they made their way between the trees until they reached her secluded place near the stream after a while. She dismounted Lumiere again and allowed her horse to drink something out of the stream as she looked at the moon that stood high in the sky.

She wrapped her arms together as a chill wind blew through the trees. It was a rather cold night for this time of the year and she wished that she had brought a coat with her because she was wearing her armour. Instead she whispered quietly and her eyes flashed gold for a mere second and she immediately felt herself warming up a little. It was quite pathetic. She had the power to the most amazing things with her magic and she rarely used it simply because she was too terrified to be discovered.

Magic wasn't outlawed in Mercia and what Lyanna knew about the kingdom was that they weren't exactly embracing it either. She doubted if Prince Dougal would be too thrilled to find out that his fiancé had magic. Perhaps he would break off the betrothal if he knew. Therefore he couldn't find out. It would be better to hide who she is there as well. She was starting to get used to having to lie about who she is.

Lyanna rested her hand on the hilt of her sword when she heard movement in the bushes nearby. She bit her bottom lip and turned her head just as Arthur and Merlin brought their horses to a halt in front of her. The princess raised her eyebrow at her brother. "I thought that you said that you would be coming alone?" she questioned him.

"Did I? I'm not going anywhere without my servant, Lee," he protested and she knew that he was up to something by the glee in his eyes. "But I'm glad to see you here. Do you have everything?"

She nodded and patted on her satchel. "I even brought my healing supplies," she informed him as she walked over to Lumiere and mounted the steed again. "We should try to create a distance between Camelot in case they discover that we're gone before the morning comes. Do you know where we need to go?"

"Not quite. According to Morgause the path would become clear," Arthur murmured again and Lyanna rolled with her eyes.

"Great. Let's just ride south for an hour then and perhaps the route that we need to take will become clear to us when we have day light. We need a few hours of sleep," she replied before kicking Lumiere into a run. Arthur and Merlin followed her example and rode after the Princess of Camelot between the trees.

Lyanna rode in the front while she heard Arthur and Merlin talking quietly behind her when they had slowed down. She wasn't paying attention to what they were saying and focused on the route ahead of her in the dark. Thanks to her magic she was able to see further than any normal human being would, but it was still pitch dark. The only light that they had was that of the moon.

"Lyanna," Arthur called after a while. "We're going to get some rest here."

She took a deep breath and looked around the secluded place that her brother had picked out before she dismounted Lumiere again and tied her horse to a nearby tree. "I suspect that we don't build a fire? It's only a couple of hours until dawn," Lyanna guessed and Arthur nodded as he stood still before her. "Why do you have horse dung on your face?"

Arthur glowered at his servant who stood a couple of meters away from them. "Merlin had snuck in a rope into my chamber so he could get me out. I climbed out of the window only this idiot here let go off the rope and I landed with my face into the horse dung." Lyanna quickly covered her mouth behind her hand to hold back her laughter, but Arthur looked at her with narrowed eyes. "This isn't funny, Lee."

"Oh. I think it is," she giggled. "It suits you, Archie." Lyanna smirked before she walked past them and heard Merlin snorting before the servant shouted an 'Ouh!" because the prince had hit him.

She sat down with her back against a rock and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm as Merlin and Arthur sat down nearby her. "I'll keep watch," she suggested and noticed that both of them wanted to argue with her about it, but she silenced them with a look. "You need some sleep more than I do. I'll be fine. Please."

They decided to let it rest and it was fifteen minutes later that both of them had fallen asleep which put Lyanna a bit at ease. She sat there by herself looking at the stars in the night sky thinking about so many different things. A part of her even wondered where Rollo was and if the wolf was still alive. She would never see him again after all.

Their soft and steady breathing was the only thing that Lyanna heard in the depth of night, besides the occasional owl's that hooted in the trees. She used the same spell again when she couldn't get that chill out of her skin.

Occasionally her gaze lingered to Merlin who was sleeping beside her, with his face turned towards her. Her chest tightened as her gaze remained focused on his curved lips which she secretly longed to kiss again. Lyanna bit her own lip as she blushed and looked up at the sky again. Staring at the man that she loved wasn't going to help her feelings for him go away.

She continued to sit there for hours until the first morning lips came down between the trees. "Gentlemen it is time to wake up," she said with a steady voice and saw them slowly waking up.

"Have you sat there all night?" Arthur asked his sister when he was finally standing and stretching himself so his body wouldn't be sore.

"Yes, I have. Nothing special has happened," she assured him calmly.

"You should've given one of us the second watch so you could've gotten some sleep."

"I'm fine, Arthur. Don't worry about me." Lyanna gave him a loaf of bread which she had taken from the palace kitchen yesterday before she walked down a hill to find a stream so that she could fill their water skins. While she was filling them she saw her reflection in the clear water and cringed. She had large bags under her eyes and her golden hair looked dull and was filled with knots. She looked like a mess. She quickly weaved it into a simple braid before she made her way back. "Do we know where we're going yet?"

"We'll just ride for a bit," Arthur answered unsure as Lyanna handed them their water skins. "Have you eaten, Lee?"

"Yes, Arthur. I had a bit of bread," she muttered before climbing on Lumiere's back. She wasn't exactly in the mood to eat, but she didn't feel like sharing that with them. "We should get going."

Shortly after that they set out again and rode further through the woods. Lyanna rode along side her brother with Merlin at the back. "Do you actually know where we're going?" the servant asked when they had halted again when the path split.

"It's this way," Arthur said and pointed to the left path and nudged his horse in that direction, only his horse began to take the other path. "What is wrong with this horse? It's even dumber than you, Merlin." Lyanna rolled with her eyes because he was once again offending his servant.

"Where are you going?" Merlin asked him. "I thought you said it was left."

"It's not me! It's the horse! Morgause told me: when the time comes, you'll know your way," Arthur responded and was already riding down the path.

"So the horse knows where we're going. Great," Merlin said sarcastically and his eyes met those of Lyanna. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied before kicking Lumiere forwards and rode after her brother with Merlin right behind her. At least that's what she thought where he was, but he was suddenly riding alongside her. Fortunately for her he kept silent and didn't bother to ask her more questions, which she appreciated. It made it a bit easier for her because she was supposed to get over him, which seemed like an impossible task.

She kept her attention fixed upon the road as they quickly caught up with Arthur. For hours they rode without barely saying a thing to each other. Lyanna was mostly lost in her own thought and even kept to herself when they paused around noon to eat a bit before they continued again.

A couple of hours later Lyanna was listening to the conversation between the prince and his manservant as she rode by herself at the back. "What if Morgause challenges you to do something you don't want to do?" Merlin asked him.

"I'm not expecting it to be easy, Merlin. That's why it's called a challenge," Arthur retorted.

"So you'd do anything she asks of you?"

Arthur sighed. "I gave her my word. It's a question of honour," he clarified.

"What is she challenges you to do something even less honourable than breaking your word?" Merlin enquired which even awakened Lyanna's curiosity, but she kept quiet nonetheless.

"Will you stop rabbiting on? We're in Odin's territory. We could be attacked at any second," Arthur warned him.

But that didn't stop Merlin. "I just think it's strange to agree to do something when you don't know what it is," he continued.

"One more word out of you, Merlin, and you'll be taking the challenge in my place," Arthur threatened. As soon as he had finished his sentence an arrow hit the tree just beside Merlin's face, missing it by a small inch. His horse pranced and the warlock was thrown onto the ground, but was alright.

They dismounted their horses and the twins unsheathed their swords before they began to attack Odin's men that stormed towards them. One man ran towards Merlin who was still lying on the ground, but Arthur threw a dagger at him and he died. Lyanna pierced a couple of men until she heard someone whisper behind her. "Gar onbærne."

A man fell out of the tree right in front of Lyanna's feet and she looked back at Merlin who was looking guilty until his eyes widened in shock. "Watch out!" She spun around in time to block the attack of another man and was about to pierce him with the edge of his blade cut past her right leg. She flinched before stabbing him in his abdomen so that he fell over.

The attackers were taken care of and Arthur now looked at his servant. "Don't worry, Merlin. We'll deal with this, you lie there, making yourself comfortable." Lyanna tried to walk back to Lumiere. Her injured leg wasn't cooperating and she fell over, but Arthur was just in time to catch her before she would hit the ground. "Lee, you're bleeding!" he cried out.

She looked down at her leg and saw that blood had welled through her breeches and cursed inwardly. "It's nothing seriously. Just a scratch," she assured him.

"Let me take care of it for you," Merlin offered, giving her a friendly smile. "It's easier that way so you won't have to do it yourself. You and Gaius have taught me enough to do this." Her hazel orbs met his blue ones and she felt her entire body tense because of that. Instead of saying anything she nodded. Merlin knew where Lyanna kept her healing supplies and came back with the satchel as she sat down with her back against a rock. Arthur had gone to scout ahead and the two of them were alone.

Merlin gently pulled up the leg of her breeches so that he could have a good look at her wound. "It's quite deep," he informed her grimly. "I'll try and stop the bleeding." He firmly pressed a cloth against it as Lyanna bit her bottom lip to not flinch. Healing her with magic wasn't going to be an option because Arthur knew she had a wound, and not having one ten minutes later was a bit suspicious. "Am I hurting you?"

"No... No, it's fine," she assured him. "You're doing a great job."

He grinned widely because of that and began to rub some healing ointment to clean the cut with his long fingers. When the ointment touched her skin Lyanna shivered and she wasn't sure whether or not it was because it was cold, or because Merlin was touching her with his gentle fingers. She hoped that he didn't see her blushing face.

"Do you have any spare bandage?" Merlin questioned and she shook her head. He untied his neckerchief instead and wrapped it around her leg to apply enough pressure onto it.

"Thank you, Merlin," Lyanna said gratefully. "I'll get you a new neckerchief when we get back. Perhaps one in a different color."

"There is no need for that. As long as you're feeling better," he responded and gently helped her back onto her feet. She wobbled a bit with her legs, but he had his arm wrapped around her shoulder so that she was leaning onto him. Lyanna felt her heart swell. This wasn't going to make things easier for her, but she appreciated his concern for her.

Their gazes were locked and they were both smiling at each other when Arthur made his way back to them. "How's your injury?" he asked concerned.

"The wound was pretty deep, but I managed to stop the bleeding and treated it. It should heal nicely within a week, but for now she needs some support with moving around," Merlin informed the prince who looked impressed at his servant.

"Well, I'm glad that you've learned enough to play as a physician because you're still a terrible servant," Arthur retorted smugly.

"Arthur stop complaining about Merlin all the damn time. Picking on him all the time is a very rude thing to do, especially because he's doing everything that you ask him to. It would kill you to show some appreciation once in a while. At least be nice to each other during this trip or you'll be sorry, Archie," Lyanna warned her brother with narrowed eyes and he scoffed before turning to his own horse.

Merlin was grinning as they walked over to Lumiere. "Thank you, Lyanna. But that wasn't nece-"

"I know it wasn't, but he deserved it. I just hate it when he treats you like that," Lyanna replied. Merlin placed his warm hands on her waist and carefully lifted her onto the saddle of Lumiere.

"Alright?" he asked and she nodded a few times and they both smiled at each other. Whatever was going on Merlin still was her dearest friend and she felt the most comfortable in his presence. Ignoring him wasn't an option. She cared too much for him to continue to do so.

"Lyanna you don't have to come with us. You could go back to Camelot with Merlin so that Gaius could take a look at your leg," Arthur said once they were all sitting in the saddles.

"Yeah, as if I'm going to let you do this by yourself. You said that Morgause knew our mother and therefor we're going to find her together," she replied and kicked Lumiere into a run with her good leg, and held on tightly to the reigns. Arthur and Merlin quickly followed her.

Arthur was riding alongside her and they talked normally together which put the princess a bit at ease. They rode through the forest for a couple of hours until night was falling around them.

"We'll set up a camp here," Arthur informed them. As Arthur held the reigns of Lyanna's rocking horse Merlin was there to place his hands on her waist again and to carefully lifted her onto her feet. He wrapped his arm around her to give her some support and walked over to a large tree where he carefully sat her down.

Arthur had gone to find something to eat while Merlin went to collect some firewood. The warlock came back ten minutes later and was building the campfire. As he was trying to create a fire the normal way Lyanna quickly muttered, "**Forbearnan**."

The twigs began to burn and Merlin looked at her with confusion in his eyes. "Why would you do it the hard way when you can do it the easy way?" Lyanna asked him, grinning sheepishly. "There is no one around to see it."

He gave in with a relieves sigh. "I'm just not doing it that way because I'm always afraid to get caught," he responded.

"I know. Perhaps one day that will be different," she assured him. At that moment Arthur stepped into the small clearing, carrying some mushroom and berries that he had found in his arms.

"Merlin, can you make some dinner for us?" the prince asked and his servant nodded.

Once they had eaten the stew that Merlin had cooked for them Lyanna felt exhaustion washing over her. Since she hadn't slept at all last night her eyes fell shut. Her head was resting in Arthur's lap and her brother was tenderly running his hand through her soft, golden hair with the believe that she had fallen asleep.

"What was your mother like?" Merlin asked interested.

"We never knew her. She died before we opened our eyes," Arthur clarified.

"I'm sorry."

The prince paused for a second. "I barely know anything about her. Our father refuses to talk about her. It must be too painful for him. Sometimes it's as if she never even existed. I still have a sense of her. Almost as though she's part of me."

Lyana was stunned to hear the two of them talking so openly about each other. Even though they always pretended not to like another, she knew that they cared for each other a lot.

"That's the same with my father. I never knew him. And my mother's barely spoken of him. I've got this... vague memory. It's probably just my imagination," Merlin responded sadly.

"I'd do anything for even the vaguest memory."

"Is that why you're so determined to find Morgause? To see what she knows about your mother?"

"Is that so wrong?" Arthur questioned. "I also feel like I owe it to Lyanna. This might be the last chance that she has to find out more about our mother. It will be the last time we'll get to do something together."

A heavy tension grew and even Lyanna was able to feel it.

"Don't take it personal by the way that Lyanna was acting to you the last couple of weeks," Arhtur continued. "She's in a though place right now because she thinks it's her duty to marry some prince for the sake of the kingdom. You're still very important to her and she is crazy about you, what I don't understand at all. I can see it by the way that she looks at you. I just wish that there was something I can do to solve this."

"I know, but there is nothing that you can do. She is to marry another and I can only let her go in the hope that I'll get over her one day," Merlin responded sadly. Lyanna felt her entire body tense, but she couldn't say anything because they would know that she had overheard their entire conversation. She could only hope the same about herself.

"We'll should get some rest," Arthur said after a moment and Lyanna felt him gently lying down onto his back, while her head remained in his lap. Within minutes she felt his breathing become deeper, knowing that he was sleeping. It didn't take long until Lyanna finally drifted to sleep as well while Merlin had the first watch.

* * *

When the first morning light crept through the trees Lyanna slowly began to wake up and opened her eyes to adjust herself to her surroundings. She found Merlin still sleeping beside the place where the campfire had burned the previous night. Arthur saw that his sister had woken up and walked over to her.

"Here," he insisted, handing her a bowl of berries and nuts. "Eat this. Please."

She couldn't refuse him and Arthur helped her sit down on top of the rock as she watched the world around her waking up. "How long have you been keeping guard?"

"Around five hours," Arthur shrugged. "You were pretty tired last night. How are you feeling now?"

"Better. Thank you," she replied gratefully and began to eat some of the berries. "Shouldn't you wake him up?"

"Yeah within a few minutes. Just enjoy the silence while it lasts," he joked and Lyanna shove him in his side which only encouraged him to laugh louder. That resulted into the manservant waking up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Look at what you've done. You've woken him up. It's your fault!"

"My fault?" Lyanna mimicked him. "You were the one that began to laugh while I remained silent. Therefor you're the one responsible for waking him up. You are such a prat!"

Merlin stood up and ran his hand through his hair while Arthur wrapped his arm around Lyanna again and placed a kiss on her cheek, which made her giggle quietly. She was going to miss this when she would be gone next week. Next week... She swallowed loudly. Everything would be different then.

Shortly after that the three of them rode further between the trees again. This time Lyanna was riding alongside Merlin and the two of them were talking quietly as Arthur was riding in the front since his horse was the only one who seemed to know the way.

They rode for about an hour until they stood in front of a lake with a waterfall. Lyanna had never been here before during her hunting trips and wondered where they were exactly and if they were going the right way.

"It seems your horse has brought us to a dead end," Merlin muttered sceptically. Clearly Arthur's horse disagreed with him and walked forwards into the water. "I think you're going to get wet."

Lyanna chuckled. "You don't say," Arthur retorted dryly as he rode further. Once he was close to the waterfall Lyanna and Merlin exchanged a look before nudging their horses forwards as well. When Lyanna felt the cold water she shivered, but stayed silent nonetheless. Not even Lumiere seemed to enjoy it.

They went through the waterfall and they were soaked to the bone and looked around them. They had entered a tunnel which had been hidden perfectly behind the waterfall. The tunnel wasn't very long and they emerged from a wood to find Arthur staring up at an impressive abandoned castle.

"I don't remember being here before," Lyanna said in awe and confusion.

They rode around it to the other side. "If we weren't sure Morgause was a sorceress before, we can be certain of it now," Merlin responded.

"That must've been how she defeated me. She was using magic," Arthur stated.

Lyanna snorted as Merlin chuckled softly. "Hmm, it didn't look like she was," he said.

"And what would you two know about magic?" the prince retorted.

"Nothing," Lyanna quickly supplied and exchanged a look with Merlin. It was for the best that he didn't know. Not yet anyway.

The two men dismounted their horses. While Arthur went to look ahead Merlin humbly helped Lyanna out off the saddle and lifted her to the ground again. Their gazes met for a second before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they followed Arthur into castle and up the small steps through a doorway.

The steps leaded to an chamber with large, crumbled walls and without a ceiling. Clearly this place had been destructed during some sort of battle or had simply been abandoned. Either way it seemed that no one was living here. In the middle of this chamber stood a block of wood with an axe.

"Now what?" Arthur asked puzzled.

"Maybe we should ask the horse," Merlin responded dryly and Lyanna did her best not to laugh. "Well, there's no one here." He was about to make his way out of the castle again and taking Lyanna with him when they heard a female voice.

"You kept your promise." They turned around and saw Morgause coming down a different broken staircase.

"What is the nature of this challenge you wish to set my brother on?" Lyanna asked a bit anxiously.

"I want him to place his head on the block," Morgause answered. She picked up the axe. "You gave me your word that you would do anything I asked."

Arthur knelt down to place his head on the block and Lyanna felt all the blood fading from her face as she watched this. "What are you doing?" Merlin demanded to know. "I won't let you do this!"

"Stay out of this, Merlin!" Arthur snapped.

Lyanna placed her hand on Merlin's chest and held on tightly to his tunic as Morgause began to swing with the axe. As she lowered it towards Arthurs's head she put the axe down on the ground and Lyanna dared to breathe again.

"You've shown that you are truly a man of your word, Arthur Pendragon, and for that I will grant you one wish. Tell me what is that your heart most desires," Morgause offered.

Arthur stood up again. "You said that you knew our mother. Tell us all that you know about her," he insisted.

Morgause's eyes twinkled. "Perhaps you would like to see her."

Lyanna knitted her eyebrows together and realized that she was still clutching onto Merlin's tunic and let go off it. If she was truly able to let them see their mother if must've been very dark magic.

Arthur walked over to Lyanna and took her over from Merlin by wrapping his own arm around her, and she let him. "Do we want this, Lee?" he asked her quietly.

Unsure what to do she nodded. "This might be our only chance," she replied and Arthur smiled widely.

"As you wish," Morgause said as she began to prepare the spell.

Arthur and Merlin were discussing about whether or not this was a good idea, and Lyanna wasn't exactly paying attention to what was being said. The last thing that she heard was, "Morgause is a sorcerer. She has caused us no harm. Surely not everyone who practices magic can be evil," Arthur argued.

By now night had fallen and the only light they had was that of the moon and the many candles that had been lit. "It's time," Morgause announced and held out her hand for Lyanna and Arthur to take it, which they both did. "Close your eyes. **Arásae mid min miclan mihte þín suna to helpe. Hider eft funde on þisse ne middangeard þín suna w'æs**."

"Arthur. Lyanna," another female voice said.

They opened their eyes and in front of them stood a woman with long golden hair and a beautiful face. She had bright green orbs, and Lyanna could suddenly understand why her father always said that she looked just like her mother.

"My children," she said gratefully and went over to them to hug them tightly in her small arms. "When I last hold you two you were so tiny. I remember your eyes. You were both staring up at me. Those few seconds I held both of you were the most precious of my life."

Lyanna noticed that she was sobbing by now. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. She couldn't believe that she was holding her mother.

"You two have nothing to be sorry for," Ygraine assured them and placed her hands on their cheeks.

"But it was our births that caused you to die," Arthur helped her remember.

Ygraine shook with her head. "Do not think that. You two are not to blame. It is your father who should carry the guilt of what happened."

Lyanna exchanged a brief look with Arthur. "What do you mean, mother?"

"It is not important. What matters is that you two lived-"

"Why should our father feel guilty? Please," Arthur wanted to know.

She was silent for a moment. "Your father, he was desperate for an heir. Without a son, the Pendragon dynasty would come to an end. But I could not conceive. Your father betrayed me. He went to the sorcerers Nimueh and asked for her help in conceiving a child... You two were born of magic."

Lyanna felt her chest tighten and bit her bottom lip.

"But that's not true," Arthur objected, not wanting to believe it.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. Your father has deceived both of you as he deceived me. To create a life, a life must be taken. Your father knew that," Ygraine clarified.

"But didn't it matter that you gave birth to twins?" Lyanna wanted to know.

"The magic that was used was only to help me conceive one child, but no one knew that I was pregnant with another child. It was after I had given birth to Arthur that we found out that another one was coming. No one knew how it was possible, but there you were. Nevertheless my life was over the moment that I held the two of you in my arms. Your father sacrificed my life so that the Pendragon dynasty could continue. It makes you no less my children, nor me any less proud of you two. Now that I see how you've two have grown I would give my life willingly. Do not let this knowledge change you," Ygraine said to them.

A strong wind blew past them. They looked back up at their mother again but she had vanished. "No!" Arthur cried out. "Bring her back!"

"I cannot. Once the doorway is closer, it is closed forever. I am truly sorry that you learnt of your mother's fate this way. I can only imagine it must feel to discover your father is responsible for her death. It is an unforgivable betrayal," Morgause replied before she left them.

Both siblings were caught of bewilderment by this whole ordeal and were unsure how to process this new information that they had just received.

Arthur turned towards his servant. "Fetch the horses. We're returning to Camelot."

* * *

Merlin was once again the one who helped Lyanna out off Lumiere's saddle whey they were standing in the courtyard of Camelot. Arthur had already gone into the castle. Merlin's warm hands felt nice on her waist and she cursed inwardly because she was enjoying his touch while she really shouldn't. "Thank you, Merlin," she said gratefully as their gazes locked again. They both felt an unanswered tension between them, but decided to keep it this way.

"Not a problem at all. How are you feeling after all that you've found out?" he asked her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder again and carefully escorted her towards the front steps, which they climbed slowly since her leg was still hurting.

"It's a lot to process to find out that you and your brother are the product of magic," Lyanna admitted. "I honestly don't know what to do with this."

They entered the castle and slowly made their way through the long corridors where they saw Gaius walking towards them. "Merlin. Lyanna. I'm relieved to see both of you are safe. Where is Arthur?" the physician asked.

Merlin looked around the corridor to see if they were alone. "Arthur and Lyanna were born of magic. Weren't they? Uther used magic," he stated. "All those people he's executed... he's as guilty as they are. He sacrificed their mother! He as good as murdered her! People should know the truth about what he's done. How could you not tell me?"

"I feared what Arthur would do if he ever found out," Gaius said. "Lyanna, you're limping. Is everything well?"

She smiled faintly. "Merlin treated the wound for me. Now I need to find Arthur before he confronts our father," she said determined and turned around.

"I'll take you there," Merlin offered.

They made their way up the stairway as fast as they could with her limp leg until they reached a different corridor. In front of the door stood Leon who blocked them. "The King has forbidden anyone to enter, Milady!"

"Sir Leon if you do not step aside there is the chance that they will kill each other!" Lyanna informed him and Leon saw the urgency and allowed them to enter. They stepped into the council chamber where Uther was lying on his throne with Arthur's sword above his head. The prince was about to strike. "Arthur! Stop! I know that you want to do this, but this is not the answer!"

"Our mother is dead because of him!" Arthur retorted, his voice filled with venom.

"Killing your father won't bring her back. You've lost one parent. Do you really want to lose another?" Merlin enquired and Lyanna was grateful that he was always on her side and that they were doing this together.

"Listen to them, Arthur," Uther insisted.

"Archie, please, put the sword down for me," Lyanna tried to reason with him as she and Merlin stepped closer.

Arthur refused to remove his gaze from his father and was fuming with anger. "You heard what our mother said! After everything he has done, do you believe he deserves to live?! He executes those who use magic, and yet he has used it himself! You have caused so much suffering and pain! I will put an end to it!" He lowered his sword closer to his father again.

Gaius entered the council chamber. "Morgause is lying!" Merlin quickly said. "She's an enchantress. She tricked both of you. That was not your mother you saw. That was an illusion! Everything... everything your mother said to you... those were Morgause's words." Lyanna exchanged a look with Merlin. She knew that he only said this to calm her brother down.

"You don't know that!" Arthur objected with a raised voice.

"Merlin is right, Arthur," Lyanna said, her voice calm and soothing. "This has been her plan all along. To turn us against our father. And if you kill him, the kingdom will be destroyed! This is what she wants. You can't do this. Please."

"Listen to him and your sister. They're telling the truth," Uther pleaded.

Arthur glowered at his father. "Swear to me it isn't true! You are not responsible for our mother's death! Give me your word!" he almost shouted with trembling hands.

"I swear on my life," Uther promised them on the verge of tear "I loved your mother. There isn't a day that passes that I don't wish she were still alive. I could never have done anything to hurt her." Lyanna bit her lip. Her father sounded sincere and the tears were threatening to spill from his eyes.

Arthur dropped his sword and fell to his knee, slumping against his father's chair while Lyanna stayed at Merlin's side.

Uther stroke Arthur's shoulder. "My son. You and your sister mean more than.. than anything," he admitted and he meant it.

The prince was sobbing now by Uther quickly pulled him into his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Arthur repeated devastated. He hated that someone had played with his feelings like that.

"You two are not to blame."

* * *

It was the next morning when Lyanna was walking through the corridors together with Gaius. Her leg was still hurting, but she was able to walk by herself now and limping as she went. Their arms were hooked together as they did a lot, but this time it was mainly to give her some extra support.

"How are you feeling after this whole ordeal?" Gaius asked her, sounding concerned.

She looked at him. "I'm kind of relieved that I finally know the truth about my mother, even though my father was partly guilty about her death. I just wish that I could've known her better," Lyanna admitted.

As they walked around the corner they saw her father coming from the physician chambers and he walked in the opposite direction. Both Gaius and Lyanna looked bewildered as they stepped into the physician chamber. "Was that Uther I just saw leaving?" Gaius asked puzzled and closed the door behind them.

Merlin was standing by the table and looked at them. "Yeah. He just popped in to say hello," he said sarcastically. Lyanna dramatically rolled with her eyes. That was something her father would never do.

"Merlin, what did he want?" the physician asked as he helped Lyanna sit down at the table.

"He wanted to thank me for being a trusted ally in the fight against magic," Merlin responded and turned around as he sat down beside Lyanna, who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"How you've managed to keep that head on your shoulders is a mystery beyond our greatest minds. Uther should be grateful. Your life would've been easier and safer if you'd let him die. You must have been tempted," Gaius continued.

"Maybe for a moment," Merlin admitted honestly and Lyanna admired him for it. "But Arthur wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if he'd gone through with it. It would've destroyed him."

Lyanna grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Well, I am grateful for what you did for me and my family. I don't know how I can reward you for it," she said to him.

"I'm proud of you, Merlin," Gaius also supplied.

Merlin looked stunned. "Arthur's thanking me, Lyanna and Uther are grateful, you're proud. I've never been this popular."

Lyanna giggled as she let go of him. "I'm almost certain it won't last."

"Just let me enjoy the moment," Merlin smiled brightly as he slumped further into his chair and put his feet onto the table.

* * *

**Alright I needed an episode first that stood central to bonding time. There surely is a lot of Merlin/Arthur/Lyanna and it might be the last time because Caryle's arrival is closer than you think. Also Freya is going to make an appearance is the next chapter which I'm looking really forward to because I love that Druid girl. This is surely going to end in some jealous Lyanna. I can assure you that the chapter is going to be a tad different than how you guys remember it ;) That's all that I can say for now. Alright, has any of you guys seen the pictures of Colin as Tom Anderson? He looks so incredibly good in those pictures I feel like crying. **

**EmilyGrace31: I'm so glad that you liked it :D I do like to write fluff and I can promise there is going to be plenty in this story. Maybe I'll write some more in the next chapter. Will that please you? Don't do anything with a certain Irish man :( It would break my heart so no. I'll make it up to you. Things are going to turn out fine for them and Lyanna could become Merlin's lovely wife in the future. (but please don't hurt that beautiful Irish man) ;) Thank you for always reviewing! It means the world to me.**

**Lbunny: I hope that there were enough Myanna moments in this chapter for you :) There are going to be more in the next chapter and I'm going to make up for everything. Thank you for always reviewing ;)**

**HPuni101: Every review is one that counts, dear ;) I'm glad with every single one of them. Were you able to wait so long for the next update? I hope this update was good enough for you and that you've died in the meantime. But thank you so much for all your reviews :D**

**KattieWatsonHolmes: Don't worry about such a thing dear. I am sorry to hear that your cold has gotten worse. It's super sweet of Will that he was looking after you. Nope standing in the rain isn't a very good thing to do. London weather isn't the nicest I'm aware of that. Dutch weather is also horrible. It has been raining the entire week ;p I'm aware by now that you love it when people snog. I'm glad that you're so understanding by my need to add some drama into the story. Well, there will be more fluff in the Lady in the Lake chapter ;) I hope that will cure you completely. I'll respond to your other review right away here :) There was indeed a bit of Myanna fluff in that chapter. Where are you with watching the show right now? ;o I'm sure that it's going to be weird when you're going to continue watching the series and there is no Lyanna. My poor baby :( Oh I had no idea. Late HAPPY BIRTHDAY then dear 3 I hope that you had a lovely day with your brother and his wife ;) I'll make the next chapter in honor of you. Haha I love how you're writing a background story for your cameo character ;p I haven't thought about bringing her back yet, but who knows what the future holds. Thank you for always reviewing, my dear. I hope that you feel better by now or I'll hop on a plane to London and stay with you until you do. I'm going to make you lots of tea and we'll cuddle alright? **

**Guest: It's a good thing if you can't stop reading something once you've started. Thank you so much for saying those sweet things. Oh wow. I'm honestly curious to see your little happy dance every time that I update haha. I'm glad that you haven't combusted yet! :D Prince Caryle will be here soon, that's all that I can say. I want to surprise all of you haha. Yes, I love the relationship between Lyanna and Gaius as well. She is honestly closer to him than she is to her own father and Gaius knows that. There will be more moments like you for reviewing all the time, dear :D**

**RevanKnight25: Thank you! :"D I can't say much, but you have to be patient. **

**ArmyWife22079: Yes, that would be the simplest solution but it's quite hard for a princess to run away. Uther would surely track her down and bring her back to Camelot, so that's not a good option. I do love that theory of you about Rolo. It's very clever, but I can assure that there will be something different. Things will get explained once the wolf comes back ;)**

**MiaR: It wasn't my intention to hurt your heart. There will be more Lyanna/Merlin moments ;) I'm going to make up for it. Yes you're right. The Lady of the Lake is almost here and so is Carlyle. Maybe they will both be here at the same time... Hmm. Everything is possible :p I guess you have to be patient to find that out. I will bring our beloved couple together. I want them to be happy more than anything and I will make them just that ;D Don't be a bundle of nerves please. You need to be happy as well. And I'm glad you loved that moment between Gaius and Lyanna :) There is going to me more of that. Thank you for reviewing! :D**

**jhahn1989: I'm going to comment to both of your reviews at the same time. I'm sorry that your heart sank so much when Lyanna gave Merlin that bad news and that you was left in gony. I hope that will fade :o Alright I will take your sadness as a compliment then haha. Although that wasn't my intention at all you must know that. There are indeed a lot of Lyanna/Merlin fans which warms my heart, and I owe it to them to bring that adorable couple together and I will do that. (but also for myself because I've grown quite attached to both of them. Now I'm gonna comment on your next review ;) I was also panicking for Gaius while watching this episode the first time. It's so heartbreaking to see the way that Aredian treats him. Yes, I find it very important that they don't forget about each other even after losing their romantic relationship. they're still incredible good friends. He may fight for her ;) You'll have to be patient I'm afraid. You'll find out soon enough. But thank you for reviewing all the time. It means a lot me :D **

**LunaPendragon: Here is more :D I hope this is good enough. Thank you for the review!**


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